Has anyone here discussed the convicted felon's claim that he has an agreement with Vladimir Putin to release journalist Evan Gershkovich... but only if he is elected president in November?

Hayes noted that the Biden administration has been negotiating to free Gershkovich since his arrest, but so far without success. Trump’s video, Hayes continued, is “truly appalling, even by his degraded standards,” because he “appears to be openly colluding with Vladimir Putin in the hostage taking of Evan Gershkovich.”

After playing Trump’s clip, Hayes continued, “There are two possibilities here. One is that Trump is lying. He has no actual means of knowing whether that would happen, and if that’s the case, not only is it unspeakably cruel thing to say to people that love [Gershkovich], Trump is also, let’s be clear here, actively hampering the negotiations” for the reporter’s release.

“He is sending a signal to Russia not to free him until after the election, either under the guise of some better deal from Trump, or as a tool to help Trump get elected...

Behind door number two, the convicted felon really does have some back channel to Putin, that he is discussing a deal the two of them have already worked out.

Hayes points out that republicans have a history of colluding with the enemy to swing elections their way: Nixon with the South Vietnamese government before the 1968 election and Reagan with Iran. Oh, and the convicted felon himself with his "Russia, if you're listening..."

Yeah, yeah, I know: Russia, Russia, Russia.

Sorry cultists but Clinton was right: with Trump, all roads lead to Russia.

thewrap.com - Chris hayes evan gershkovich donald trump msnbc