US pastor freed from Turkey prays for Trump in White House
WASHINGTON: Freed American pastor Andrew Brunson fell to one knee in the Oval Office and placed his hand on President Donald Trump’s shoulder in prayer before asking God to provide Trump “supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans you have for this country and for him”.
Trump welcomed Brunson to the White House on Saturday to celebrate the cleric’s release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey, which had sparked a diplomatic row and outcry from US evangelical groups.
Brunson returned to the US aboard a military jet shortly before meeting the president. He was detained in October 2016, formally arrested that December and placed under house arrest on July 25 for health reasons.
“From a Turkish prison to the White House in 24 hours, that’s not bad,” Trump said.
Brunson’s homecoming amounted to a diplomatic, and possibly political, win for Trump and his evangelical base. After the confirmation of a conservative justice to the Supreme Court, Brunson’s return is likely to leave evangelical Christians feeling good about the president and motivated go to the polls in the November 6 midterm elections.
When Brunson asked Trump if he could pray for him, the president replied: “Well, I need it probably more than anyone else in this room, so that would be very nice, thank you.”
Brunson left his chair beside Trump, kneeled and placed a hand on the president’s shoulder. As Trump bowed his head, Brunson asked God to “give him supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans you have for this country and for him. I ask that you give him wisdom in how to lead this country into righteousness”.
Brunson had lived in Turkey for two decades and led a small congregation in the Izmir Resurrection Church. He was accused of committing crimes on behalf of Kurdish militants and to aid a Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of engineering the failed coup.