we don t want to send this signal of weakness that incentivize hostage-taking going forward. bret: here is what the administration is saying in the way of john kirby from the white house. it was a tough decision, but it was a better decision than doing nothing because it was either get britny out using mr. bout or get nobody out. better to have brittney griner soon on american soil rather than spending years and years in prison for a crime she didn t commit. does it not encourage for be abductions and taking prisons than use them to get back. in some ways this ship has ng americans in return to get somebody else back some oother concession. this is part plaintiff putin s playbook. bret: so that s their answer, congressman. well, i think the white house is offering a false choice.