Wife of American held hostage in Afghanistan reveals 'incredibly crushing' call with Biden after two-year wait

A woman whose husband has been held hostage in Afghanistan since 2022 revealed the "devastating" details of her long-awaited phone call with President Biden, as he prepares to cement his foreign policy legacy before leaving office. 

Anna Corbett — whose husband Ryan is being held by the Taliban — has pleaded for a meeting with the president since his detainment began, and was finally able to speak with him on the phone, Sunday.

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But that phone call did not yield the results she had desperately searched for. 

"He was very kind and empathetic, but what I heard him say is that he is not bringing Ryan home, and that was absolutely devastating because, as you just said, I have been advocating fiercely on Ryan's behalf, on my family's behalf. Ryan just keeps missing milestones," Corbett told co-host Ainsley Earhardt on "Fox & Friends," Monday. 

"To hear after all this effort, there is a deal on the table, there is a way to bring Ryan home, and it's not being taken, is incredibly crushing to our family," she continued. 

Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmoud Habibi, who are being held in Afghanistan. (James Foley Foundation)

The White House on Sunday confirmed Biden spoke with Corbett's family, along with the families of George Glezmann, and Mahmoud Habibi – who have also been unjustly held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2022.

Ryan was captured by the Taliban while in Afghanistan for business in August 2022, a year after the U.S. had pulled out of the country, and since his wrongful detainment began, Corbett wasted no time fighting for the safe release of her husband. 

"It's very difficult because his conditions are not livable," she said. "He is physically declining. He told me on a call that I would not recognize him."

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Corbett decided to take her advocacy efforts even further by traveling to Mar-a-Lago in hopes of bringing President-elect Donald Trump's attention to her husband's case. 

"I have heard from several that President Trump is concerned about our family," Corbett said. "He knows that we are down here. He knows about our situation and is very concerned."

To her avail, Corbett successfully met with incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz over the weekend to discuss Ryan's situation.

"It was just mind-blowing because it took 16 months to actually get a meeting where I traveled to DC to meet with the current national security adviser, Jake Sullivan," she said. "This shows that President Trump is very concerned, is wanting to prioritize our family. I know he's tough. He wants to make deals."

"I am extremely encouraged, and the contrast of my experience is just mind-blowing right now," she continued. 

Reports broke this week that the Biden administration was negotiating with the Taliban to swap three U.S. citizens being held in Afghanistan in exchange for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner alleged to have been a close associate of Usama bin Laden. 

The deal seemingly stalled, as a senior Taliban official told The Guardian the group would rather wait to negotiate with the incoming Trump administration.

Even despite her previous setbacks, Corbett was hopeful the Trump administration would bring Ryan home.

"I absolutely believe they will bring Ryan home," Corbett said. "The details, of course, are unclear. This is complicated, and I'm not an expert in any of this, but it's very clear that the incoming administration cares about bringing U.S. citizens back to their country and caring about Ryan and George, who is also held with him, who have done nothing wrong."

Corbett said she spoke with her husband on Sunday when he voiced his frustration with the longevity of his detention. 

"He wants to come home and be with his family," she said. "He's an amazing dad. And he said, 'I feel bad for all that you're having to do for me.' And of course, I will do everything I can. I'm a mom. This is what moms do, and I want my children to have their dad back to be part of their lives."

Fox News' Morgan Phillips, Alexis McAdams, Alexandra Koch, Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Bailee Hill is an associate editor with Fox News Digital. Story ideas can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.