President Donald Trump welcomed American Pastor Andrew Brunson to the White House after he was freed from Turkey after being detained in Turkey for two years.
From ABC:
“For Andrew, it’s been an interesting day, because as you probably heard, I said a little bit earlier, from a Turkish prison to the White House in 24 hours — that’s not bad,” Trump said.
Trump and Brunson met in the Oval Office with Brunson’s family, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton and members of Congress.The president began the meeting by noting the commitment of Brunson’s wife, Norine, to ensuring his release, and he thanked members of Congress for their efforts.
“We have been negotiating long and hard,” Trump said.
In a powerful moment, Brunson thanked the president for helping with his release, then asked if he could pray for him. He got on his knees, placed his hands on Trump and led the room in prayer.
When Brunson was finished, Trump asked Norine, jokingly, who she voted for. Pastor Brunson chimed in and said he sent in an absentee ballot from prison, inciting laughter in the room.
"My wife and I pray for you."
Pastor Andrew Brunson, freed from being detained in Turkey after almost two years, meets with Pres. Trump, and prays over him in the Oval Office. https://t.co/Wy0dKRBwht pic.twitter.com/ycNwxbUkYF
— ABC News (@ABC) October 13, 2018