A day after his release from a Turkish prison, Pastor Andrew Brunson met with President Donald Trump in the White House on Oct. 13. Brunson thanked the President before kneeling in prayer for him.
Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina, had been charged with unsubstantiated terrorism offenses by Turkey and jailed since 2016.
Trump has repeatedly called for the release of Brunson, calling the detainment a “total disgrace.” Trump had called for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to free him and added a doubling of duties on aluminum and steel imported from Turkey, helping drive the lira currency down against the dollar.
Brunson said Turkish authorities wanted 35 years in prison for him. Despite the experience, Brunson said he still loves Turkey and its people.
Death Toll From Michael Seen Rising as Florida Towns Remain Cut Off
The death toll was expected to rise this weekend in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael as hundreds remained unaccounted for along the Florida Panhandle where decimated communities remained cut off and in the dark.As of early on Oct. 13, state officials were reporting that at least 18 have been killed in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Rescue teams, hampered by power and telephone outages, were going door-to-door and using cadaver dogs, drones and heavy equipment to hunt for people in the rubble in Mexico Beach and other Florida coastal communities, such as Port St. Joe and Panama City.
