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Pompeo Reveals His 'Greatest Highlight' So Far as Secretary of State

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told those gathered at the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., on Friday that his most rewarding experience of his short tenure as the nation’s top diplomat was securing the release of three American prisoners from North Korea in May.

“Far and away the greatest highlight to date of my job as secretary of state was bringing home three Americans from captivity in North Korea,” he said to great applause.

“It’s emotional still to speak about it,” continued Pompeo, who took over the helm at the State Department in April.

“When Kim Dong-chul, Kim Hak-song and Tony Kim got off our plane at about 2:30 a.m. at Andrews Air Force Base, their faces were bursting with tears of joy,” he recounted. “They hugged and they wept with their families. And President Trump was on the tarmac to meet them.”

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Pompeo shared that he did not realize how emotional it would be to see the three men first being released into American hands by the North Koreans.

“I was already aboard the plane, and I saw them get out of the vehicle. And they could walk, and they appeared to be in reasonably good health. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the moment,” he said. “And even now, as I speak at it — speak about it — it reminds me of the greatness of our nation.”

He recalled that, on the flight back to the U.S., the men scribbled out a note on an index card and gave it to him when they arrived in Washington, D.C., which he read when he got home that night.

Do you believe freeing the American prisoners was a great moment for U.S. diplomacy?

The note was Psalm 126, verses 1-3 from the Bible, which reads: “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

“Then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Pompeo said regarding the prisoners, “President Trump will never forget about our own. The Lord has done great things for us.”

The secretary of state promised the U.S. is also doing everything in its power to free Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is currently being held captive by Turkey.

“He has been wrongly held,” Pompeo declared. “And his proper place is to be able to return here to once again practice his faith in our great nation.”

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During his remarks, the West Point graduate said his desire to preserve liberty, and particularly religious liberty, is what inspired him to join the military.

“Religious freedom is also an essential building block for all free societies, and our founders knew this,” he said. “It’s a freedom that I care personally about, and I know you do, as well. It’s the one that drew me to serve my country in the United States Armed Forces.”

Pompeo related making America a beacon for religious liberty is a top priority of the Trump administration.

“President Trump has directed all of us in his administration to advance and defend religious freedom at home and abroad because religious freedom is a universal, a God-given right to which all people — all people are entitled,” he said.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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