Trump threatens to impose ‘significant sanctions’ on Turkey if Pastor Andrew Brunson is not released immediately

As he should, and probably should have some time ago. But that doesn’t make it any less the right move now. We told you about Pastor Brunson’s situation back in April. The tyrannical regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is making the absurd charge that he was somehow complicit in a coup against the regime, and has proceeded with delays and show trials all designed to avoid the obvious fact that Turkey is punishing Brunson for preaching the Gospel.

Trump has demanded Brunson’s release in the past, and he’s apparently ready to make Turkey pay a price for refusing:

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States would impose significant sanctions on Turkey over its detention of American Christian pastor Andrew Brunson and called on Ankara to immediately release him. “The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being. He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!” Trump tweeted.

Of course, a tweet is not a policy. Any sanctions Trump imposes on Turkey will produce yelps of outrage from portions of the business community that are operating with Turkish counterparts, and from “diplomats” who think it will endanger their next attempt to generate a piece of paper. But none of them have done anything to get Pastor Brunson closer to being released. If a nation can hold Americans hostage and suffer no consequences for it, then the U.S. government is failing at its most basic function in international relations. Here’s hoping Trump delivers on this threat in a manner at least as harsh as the tone of his tweet. By the way, where has been the MSM coverage of Pastor Brunson’s plight? They are more concerned with what happens to illegal immigrants who sneak across the U.S. border than they are about the fate of this man.