via Getty
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. – Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
via Getty
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. – Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Former champion and UFC legend BJ Penn is yet to digest the swap between WNBA star Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout. Russian authorities arrested Griner earlier this year after discovering illegal substances in her luggage and consequently sentenced her to jail. However, the US government brought Griner back home after swapping her for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. This move did not sit well with many people, including Penn. Now, the former champion is scrutinizing the government’s double standards following the prisoner swap.
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In a recent Instagram post, Penn condemned the government for trading an athlete for a notorious arms dealer. He also called them out for holding different standards after relating the trade deal to gun control issues in the US.
BJ Penn lashes out at US Government
BJ Penn’s frustration over the Griner-Bout swap has been boiling over into his social media for a while now. A few days ago, he asked if Russia paid Griner to get caught with illegal substances and set the ball rolling for the prisoner swap. Now he has called out the government for releasing a weapons dealer while trying to impose gun control.
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Penn slammed the government’s decision “to trade an arms dealer named “Lord of War” for a professional athlete” while “trying to push for gun control.” The 44-year-old described the gun control step as “against the constitution.” He also joked, saying, “You guys just lost your chance to be unconstitutional.”
via Imago
August 04, 2022, Moscow, Russia: US Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner attends the verdict announcement at the Khimki Municipal Court in the town of Khimki, northeast of Moscow. Griner has been found guilty of smuggling and possession of drugs and sentenced to nine years in prison (Credit Image: © Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS via ZUMA Press) (Newscom TagID: zumaamericasthirtyfive090824.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]
The former two-division champion often takes to social media to give his take on political matters. However, his passion did not help him in his pursuit to become Hawaii’s Republican governor-elect.
Penn failed to impress in Hawaii primary elections
Back in October 2021, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn announced his intentions to run for governor in Hawaii. Adhering to Republican ideals, he stated his primary goal was the complete upliftment of Covid-19 related restrictions in Hawaii.
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Despite campaigning for nearly ten months, Penn fell short of his political aspirations. The BJJ black belt suffered a massive setback after gaining less than 25 percent of the total votes. According to reports, Penn earned a meager 22.2 percent, while the winning candidate got 47.5 percent.
Watch This Story– What did Joe Rogan say about Brittney Griner?
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Although he lost his governor-elect pursuit, Penn remains politically vocal with opinions like the aforementioned one.
What do you think about BJ Penn’s latest take on the Griner swap deal? Let us know in the comments below.
