Burch, according to The New York Times, is an American oil worker who had spent years working as an engineer for a Yemeni oil company when he was abducted in Sanaa, Yemen, in 2017. According to Reuters, Iran-aligned Houthi forces were behind Burch's kidnapping.
"We got him out and we're very happy about it," Trump said on Wednesday. "And Danny, welcome home."
"He was in Yemen in a very horrible situation, captive, a prisoner. You can call him whatever you want but it wasn't good. He was there for 18 months ... and we got him out. And we had some great help from (the United Arab Emirates) and all of our friends," Trump added.
The President announced Burch's release in February.
"It is my honor today to announce that Danny Burch, a United States citizen who has been held hostage in Yemen for 18 months, has been recovered and reunited with his wife and children," Trump tweeted at the time. "I appreciate the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home. Danny's recovery reflects the best of what the United States & its partners can accomplish."
The White House later released a statement saying that the President thanked the United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Muhammad bin Zayid during a phone call Wednesday.
Burch was seated next to the President in an Oval Office chair often occupied by foreign leaders.
"Gosh, it's great to be an American," Burch said.
Trump said that there are negotiations going on in other locations to free American hostages, but would not say where these hostages were located.
"We have a few negotiations going on right now. I won't tell you where, because we don't want to blow the negotiations," Trump added.
Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Republican Sens. Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham, were also in the meeting, though the President pointed out that Romney and Graham had been at the White House to discuss US-China trade talks.
Trump, who announced Burch's release ahead of his recent Vietnam summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, also weighed in on reports of activity at a North Korean missile site.
He said "it's too early to see" whether Kim broke his promise but added that he would be "very disappointed" if the reports are true.
Asked whether Kim broke his promise, Trump told reporters: "We're gonna see. It's too early to see. But we have to solve a problem. We have a really nasty problem. We have to solve a problem."
On the Senate vote against his national emergency, Trump only said: "We'll have to see how the vote goes" and declined to weigh in further.
The President also said US-China trade talks were "moving along very nicely."
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