Freed missionary pilot Kevin Rideout and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of White House on Aug. 21, 2026. @realDonaldTrump via Truth Social
President Donald Trump welcomed American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout to the White House on Aug. 21 following his release this month after being kidnapped in Niger last year.
Rideout, a pilot with Christian missionary organization Serving In Mission, or SIM International, was abducted by three unknown men outside his home in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21, 2025.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he invited Rideout, his wife, and children to the White House to meet with the hostage recovery team.
The president said Rideout’s release underscored his administration’s commitment to its promise that it will “never leave Americans behind.”
“Today we brought another American home! Kevin Rideout, a brave Christian missionary, was held hostage by ISIS Jihadists for ten months,” he said. “Welcome back home Kevin — It was an Honor to help you!”
Rideout is the 110th American captive freed since the start of Trump’s second administration in January 2025, according to a previous post by the president.
Rideout and his wife, Krista, issued a statement on Aug. 21 expressing their gratitude to the U.S. government and SIM International for their efforts in securing his release.
“We are grateful to be together again as a family. After these many months apart, there are few words adequate to express what it means simply to be reunited,” they said.
“We are profoundly thankful to the United States government and to all those who worked tirelessly for Kevin’s safe release, and to SIM for its steadfast care and support throughout this long season.”
Details surrounding Rideout’s abduction remain unclear, and it’s unknown who was behind the kidnapping. After his abduction, the kidnappers were believed to have traveled toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamic terrorists are active.
In an Aug. 14 statement announcing his release, SIM International said that Rideout was in good health.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) took to social media on Aug. 15 to celebrate Rideout’s release, saying he was grateful to hear that the missionary pilot reunited with his family after over nine months in captivity.
“His courage to share the Gospel is a reminder that Christians still face persecution around the world. That’s why I’m working to hold religious persecutors accountable,” Budd said in a post on X.
Niger, a landlocked nation in West Africa, is ruled by a military junta that took power in 2023 after deposing democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
The United States withdrew its troops from Niger in September 2024 following a disengagement agreement with the junta. The U.S. government said at the time that the move would not affect the “continuation of U.S.-Niger development relations.”
