Parents of Arizona’s Kayla Mueller express support for Trump at RNC

PHOENIX — The parents of an Arizona woman who was captured and later killed by terrorists in Syria in 2015 expressed their support for President Donald Trump during a speech Thursday on the final night of the Republican National Convention.

“Carl and I support Donald Trump because of his commitment to make and keep America great, not with the power of the government, but with the passion of people like Kayla — Americans who, even in the darkest days, always have more fight left inside of them,” Marsha Mueller said.

“Americans who don’t just talk — they act. That was our daughter. That’s President Trump. As long as we stay strong like Kayla, as long as we refuse to break, we will be great.”

In February, Trump devoted a portion of his State of the Union speech to tell the story of Prescott’s Kayla Mueller, which her parents were also in attendance for.

Kayla was held hostage by then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr-al-Baghdadi from 2013 until her death two years later.

The U.S. military mission that led to the death of al-Baghdadi in October 2019 was named after Kayla, who was 26 years old when she died.

The name of the mission was “Task Force 8-14” which paid tribute to Kayla’s birthday on Aug. 14.

She was also posthumously awarded the McCain Institute’s Award for Courage and Leadership in November 2017, which her parents accepted on her behalf in New York City.

Kayla was working for a non-governmental organization in Turkey that supported Syrian refugees before she was taken hostage.

I was honored to meet with Carl and Marsha Mueller earlier this year. Their daughter, Kayla, was a hero who had dedicated her life to serving others.

Arizona is grateful to President Trump and the brave American service members who brought justice to their family. pic.twitter.com/IxyodP75mj

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) August 28, 2020

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