Former President Donald Trump has denounced the prisoner swap deal negotiated by the Biden administration that freed Brittney Griner from jail in Russia in exchange for the release of notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

In a post on his Truth Social platform Thursday, Trump called the prisoner swap "stupid," and an "unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA."

The 76-year-old former president also attacked the WNBA star and suggested that former Marine Paul Whelan should have been freed instead of Griner.

"What kind of a deal is it to swap Brittney Griner, a basketball player who openly hates our Country, for the man known as 'The Merchant of Death,' who is one of the biggest arms dealers anywhere in the World, and responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and horrific injuries," Trump noted.

"Why wasn't former Marine Paul Whelan included in this totally one-sided transaction? He would have been let out for the asking. What a 'stupid' and unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA!!!" he added.

Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, was freed on Thursday after nearly 10 months of captivity. Her release came after the United States agreed to release Bout.

Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death," was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a U.S. judge in 2012 on charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and plotting to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons illegally to a terrorist organization. 

President Joe Biden issued an executive grant of clemency to release the Russian arms dealer from a federal prison in Illinois in exchange for Griner. Biden told the press that they still have not forgotten about Whelan.

He said, "We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul's release." However, U.S. officials admitted that bringing him home might be harder, as his case is going to be treated differently by the Russians because of the "sham espionage" charges against him.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that they had to secure Griner's release first as they did not want to lose the opportunity to do so.

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was arrested in Russia in 2018 and was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. Biden's critics claimed that Russia got the better end of the trade. 

READ NEXT: Biden Administration Seeking Prisoner Swap With Russia to Bring WNBA Player Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan Home 

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls for Joe Biden to Be Impeached for Brittney Griner Prisoner Swap

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for Joe Biden to be impeached for the prisoner swap, New York Post reported. The Georgia lawmaker tweeted that trading the WNBA star for the Russian arms dealer was "another reason to impeach Biden."

"The President of the United States traded Russian terrorist arms dealer, Viktor Bout, left a U.S. Marine in Russian jail, and brought home a professional basketball player... How many people will Viktor Bout now kill [because] Biden set him free?" Greene noted.

The lawmaker's outrage over Viktor Bout's release mirrors criticism from other top Republicans and some Democrats who have denounced the prisoner swap.  A U.S. official told CBS News that the prisoner swap took place in the United Arab Emirates.

Sources familiar with the deal told the outlet that Biden approved the exchange agreement negotiated with Russia in recent weeks last week. 

WNBA Star Brittney Griner Returns Home in Arizona

TMZ reported that Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout crossed paths on a United Arab Emirates airport tarmac hours after the U.S. and Russia agreed to the prisoner swap.

In a video released by the Russian state media outlet TASS Thursday afternoon, Griner, wearing a red jacket and without her signature dreadlocks, was seen walking along with officials before coming into contact with Bout.

Some men in the clip shook hands once they got near each other, but it was unclear if Griner and Bout did the same as the video was cut.

Reports said Brittney Griner arrived at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. early Friday. Griner is expected to return to her 3,000-square-foot property in Phoenix, Arizona, which she purchased for $475,000 in 2018. Currently, the home is estimated to be worth nearly $900,000.

READ MORE: U.S. Marine Detained in Russia; Family Says U.S. Pres. Joe Biden Won't Meet Them in Texas 

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Video Shows Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout Prisoner Exchange - From Washington Post