Cook County reader meets Trump at White House after Russian prison release
Stephen Hubbard, a retired Michigan teacher, discussed his four-year detention and the moments he finally trusted his freedom was real.
By Marco Alvarez ·
President Donald Trump hosted Stephen Hubbard in the Oval Office on Thursday, marking the first public appearance of the retired Michigan teacher since his release from a Russian prison. The meeting took place just over a week after Hubbard returned to the United States following a detention that lasted more than four years.
Hubbard was charged with fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, a claim his legal team has consistently denied. His attorneys argued that he was not involved in any military activity during his time in the country. Trump stated that he personally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure Hubbard's release. The President noted that the United States did not have to release anyone in return as part of the arrangement.
The White House restricted media access to the event, allowing only a limited pool of journalists inside the room. News photographers and a television crew were granted entry to document the interaction between the two men.
Hubbard described a period of uncertainty during his final days in custody. He said he had been told multiple times that he would be released, but he did not trust the assurances until specific actions confirmed the change. He adopted a mindset of seeing is believing, waiting for tangible proof before accepting his freedom.
The turning point came when prison officials provided him with new clothes and escorted him toward the exit. Hubbard told Trump that he only believed he was truly leaving when he saw a waiting vehicle. He recalled being accompanied by Russian officials on the drive from Moscow to St. Petersburg, at which moment he confirmed he was genuinely going somewhere.
