President Donald Trump’s administration has secured the release of more than 70 U.S. hostages held by foreign governments since taking office in January, according to the State Department.
The Trump administration has emphasized arranging the release of U.S. hostages under his second administration, including Marc Fogel, a U.S. history teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, and Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old American–Israeli who spent nearly 600 days as a hostage after Hamas abducted him after its initial attack on Israel.
Hostages released since Trump’s inauguration include Americans who were detained in Afghanistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Russia, Israel, Tunisia, Kuwait and Cameroon.
A total of 72 U.S. citizens have been released since Trump's inauguration in January, according to the State Department's Office of Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
Since then, another hostage release occurred in September when U.S. citizen Amir Amiry was released from wrongful detainment in Afghanistan.
By comparison, former President Joe Biden said in 2024 his White House secured the release of more than 70 hostages during his four years in office, according to an August 2024 statement.
Trump claimed to have helped release 58 in his first term as president.
Trump met with Alexander at the White House Tuesday, exactly two years after Hamas' initial attack on Israel. Alexander previously visited the White House in July.
