Former Vice President Mike Pence praised President Donald Trump in a social media post Monday for securing the release of Chinese pastor Ezra Jin last week, stating the president should be "commended." 

Chinese authorities released Jin on Friday, his daughter confirmed to the New York Times, after Trump reportedly raised his case to Chinese President Xi Jinping during his trip to the country in May. He was arrested last October.

"President Trump should be commended for securing Ezra Jin’s release by raising the case with Xi Jinping in Beijing this year," Pence, who was Trump's vice president in his first term, said on X. "Truly Treasure in Heaven to see this godly man of faith set free."

Pence also urged China to release imprisoned pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is a British national, after Trump also raised his case to Xi earlier this year. 

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott additionally praised Trump for getting Jin released and also called for Lai's. 

"We cannot stop fighting to hold COMMUNIST CHINA accountable for ALL of their crimes," Scott said on X on Sunday. "My friend Jimmy Lai remains unjustly imprisoned simply because he stood up for freedom. Jimmy Lai is 78 with diabetes and has been in solitary confinement for YEARS. I will never stop fighting for Jimmy Lai and I won’t give up until Jimmy is out of prison."

Jin was arrested in October along with dozens of other religious leaders as part of China's round up of leaders of the unregistered Zion Church. He has since been reunited with his family in Los Angeles.

“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle,” Jin's daughter Grace Jin Drexel said in a statement. “We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership. We know that this could not happen without the direct intervention from Chairman Xi Jinping.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.