Trump Meets With Freed Christian Missionary In Oval Office
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President Donald Trump said Saturday that American missionary Kevin Rideout has returned home after being held hostage by ISIS militants for 10 months, highlighting the administration’s efforts to secure the release of Americans held abroad.
Trump said he welcomed Rideout, along with his wife, father and children, to the White House, where they visited the Oval Office and met members of the administration’s hostage recovery team. In announcing Rideout’s return, Trump also contrasted his administration’s approach to hostage recovery with that of former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, framing the effort as part of his “America First” agenda.
Today we brought another American home! Kevin Rideout, a brave Christian missionary, was held hostage by ISIS Jihadists for ten months! We never leave Americans behind, unlike Sleepy Joe and Obama, because we are America First. Today I invited Kevin, his lovely wife, father and beautiful children, to the White House to see the Oval Office, and meet our dedicated hostage recovery team. Welcome back home Kevin — It was an Honor to help you! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Rideout was kidnapped from his home in Niger in October.
He was taken to a region linked to the Islamic State.
Three unidentified men kidnapped Rideout from his home in Niger’s capital of Niamey in October and took him to the western Tillaberi Region, where militants linked to the Islamic State are active. Since then, the US government has made rescuing Rideout a priority, lifting sanctions on Malian officials so that its drones and planes could fly over Mali to gather intelligence on terrorist groups and search for the pilot.
Several sources told Reuters that eastern Libya’s military commander Khalifa Haftar helped broker a deal that led to Rideout’s release, while another source said Haftar’s forces freed the hostage through a military operation in Mali.
Rideout’s abduction reveals the growing insecurity and Islamic extremism in the West African country. That, combined with tightened government restrictions on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), has made it more difficult for missionaries to continue serving in fields such as humanitarian aid, health care, and education.
