Freed American pastor Andrew Brunson asked President Trump if he could pray with him in the Oval Office and placed his hand on President Donald Trump’s shoulder, asking God to provide the president “supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans you have 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 row with a key ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups.
Brunson, who had been living and preaching in Turkey for more than two decades, was arrested October 2016 on suspicion of involvement in a coup attempt against the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His case became a concern among American evangelicals, sparking tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, a NATO member, as the Trump administration maintained Brunson’s innocence and pushed for his freedom.
A Turkish court found Brunson guilty on Friday of charges that could have led to a sentence of up to 35 years, but immediately released him for time served. Brunson was quickly flown to the U.S. on a government plane.
7 окт 2024
