Trump Welcomes Home U.S. Teacher Marc Fogel, Who Was In Russian Prison For Nearly 4 Years
on Feb 12, 2025
Why Did Marc Fogel Get Detained In Russia?
After nearly four years in a Russian prison, American schoolteacher Marc Fogel returned to the United States on Tuesday (February 11) and met President Donald Trump.
Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, Russia. He was arrested at a Russian airport in August 2021 for the possession of drugs, which his family said was 17 grams of marijuana he used for medical reasons, particularly to help with chronic back pain.
Fogel was sentenced to serve 14 years in a Russian prison. Following his sentencing, his family began a determined push for his release.
His mother, Malphine Fogel, planned to bring attention to his case by speaking during Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. CBS News reports she met with Trump before the rally. He promised to secure her son’s release if he assumed the presidency again.
However, Malphine never got the chance to go on stage and speak. The rally came to an abrupt end when Trump became the target of an assassination attempt. One man, Corey Comperatore, lost his life in the gunfire, while Trump and two others suffered injuries.
Fogel Returns Home To The United States
Trump won the election in November and was inaugurated on January 20. Just 22 days later, Trump made good on his promise to welcome Marc Fogel home.
Fogel arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday evening. From there, he went to the White House, where he met with President Trump.
Fogel, with an American flag draped around his shoulders, thanked Trump for securing his release. “I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero.”
He also said he felt like “the luckiest man on Earth,” adding, “I’m a middle-class school teacher who’s now in a dream world.”
“Marc Fogel’s release is historic, long overdue, and a testament to the power of strong leadership,” said Martin De Luca and Andrew Smith, members of Fogel’s legal team.
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CBS News reports that Trump and the White House have declined to share details about what the U.S. gave up in the deal with Russia for Fogel’s release. Trump simply described the terms as “very fair, very reasonable.”
Watch President Trump meet with Marc Fogel upon his long-awaited return to the U.S. in the video below.
