Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
■ The U.S. churchman who was held in Turkey met with President Donald Trump.
Leader of Turkey church offers prayer for Trump
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 on Saturday.
He asked that the president be given the “supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans (God has) for this country and for him.”
Trump welcomed Brunson to the White House to celebrate his release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey, which had sparked a diplomatic feud with an ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups.
The leader of a small church in Turkey returned to the U.S. aboard a military jet shortly before meeting the president. He was detained in October 2016, 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.
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 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 a failed coup.
Administration officials said that Turkey tried to set terms for Brunson’s release but that Trump was insistent on Brunson’s release without conditions. Trump maintained that there was no deal for Brunson’s freedom, but the president dangled the prospect of better relations between the U.S. and its NATO ally.
“We do not pay ransom in this country,” Trump said.
Trump thanked Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had resisted the demands of Trump and other U.S. officials for Brunson’s release.
The U.S. sanctioned two Turkish officials and doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, citing in part Brunson’s plight.