Trump's Hubbard plea

News · Heat 2.0 / 10 · 4 shows · 16m airtime

In October 2026, President Trump said he asked Vladimir Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American seized from Ukraine in 2022, accused of being a mercenary and sent to a penal colony. Hubbard has since walked out of a Russian prison after four years and will be flown to Texas for treatment in a military hospital. Former Ukrainian POWs now say Hubbard was tortured, starved and beaten in Russian captivity, shifting the story from the homecoming to what the four years cost him.

How 4 podcasts covered it

1. The Headlines, 2026-10-21 (5:46 to 6:54)
   Reports Trump's request to free Stephen Hubbard
   Reports Trump's claim that he asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American held since 2022, and frames a possible homecoming as a pre-midterm win that would sit alongside the diesel deal and eased sanctions.
   New angle: Trump says he asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American jailed in Russia since 2022.
2. Morning Wire, 2026-10-21 (2:41 to 4:09)
   Reports Hubbard's release and hospital transfer
   Reports Hubbard's actual release from Russian custody, four years in, with Trump claiming on Truth Social he secured it for nothing in exchange. Adds the transfer to a Texas military hospital and Russia's agreement in principle to trilateral talks.
   New angle: Hubbard walked out of a Russian prison after four years and will be flown to Texas for treatment in a military hospital.
3. Start Here, 2026-10-22 (10:38 to 17:37)
   Interviews Rievel on Hubbard's torture in captivity
   Interviews ABC's Patrick Rievel, who has followed Hubbard's case specifically: former Ukrainian POWs describe him being tortured, starved and beaten, and a Russian court convicted him as a mercenary and sentenced him to more than six years. Adds the on-record detail of Witkoff calling Putin a humanitarian and the criticism it drew.
   New angle: Former Ukrainian POWs say Hubbard was tortured, starved and beaten in Russian captivity.
4. The Bulwark Daily, 2026-10-22 (12:25 to 18:23)
   Plays the Witkoff clip and argues the trade
   Plays the Witkoff clip praising Putin as a humanitarian before the prisoner release and argues the deal handed Russia a week of concessions for one American. The outrage is new; the facts, including the Hubbard release and the Witkoff remark, are already on the record.