Recently, I had the opportunity to interview President Maggie Culbertson for a freelance piece I’m preparing for a television program. You may remember Maggie from the first Madam President book, Unlikely Candidate. She’s back in a new book, Operation Morning Glory, to be released October 6.
Kathy: Madam President, it’s good to talk to you again.
Maggie: Thank you, Kathy, but you know I’m simply “Maggie.” The title is for presidential duties only. I’m so glad we have this opportunity to talk.
Kathy: The last time we talked, you were running for president. How have your first two years in office been?
Maggie: They went well until the past few months. Our son Charles was kidnapped by a terrorist group and nearly killed. Craig, our two Secret Service agents, four sharpshooters, and I were selected to rescue our son and seven other young men. We were successful, and the men are recovering. It was a terrifying few months.
Kathy: I’m sure it was. Is everyone doing well now?
Maggie: Yes, thank you. One young man took Charles’s place and was tortured more severely than the others. He is doing well and will be married soon. Three young women were also tortured, but they are recovering. All eight young men are getting married at the White House, and we are excited to host their weddings.
Kathy: That’s wonderful! Can you tell us a little about the training for the rescue?
Maggie: I’d be glad to. The best way to describe it is this: It’s easier to run up and down the White House stairs in four-inch heels than to run in combat boots. Those boots are heavy and difficult to get used to. I’ll take the heels any day.
The training was grueling. We ran several miles twice a day while wearing all our gear. The military provided an excellent place for us to practice. We studied the terrain and prepared for everything we might encounter. The men were wonderful to work with.
Kathy: I take it you got the men out safely?
Maggie: We did. The terrorist group responsible was dismantled. We are extremely grateful for everything our country did to help us. We should be a country of love, not hate.
Kathy: What is happening now with your family?
Maggie: We are expecting two grandchildren. Our daughter Cynthia and her husband, Fred Smith, are expecting a little girl soon. Kenneth and Loretta Anderson are expecting a little boy around the same time.
Don’t be surprised if you see this president with a burp cloth over her shoulder. I’ll have to remember to remove it before official photographs. Although Loretta isn’t our biological daughter, we claimed her as our own after her mother passed away. I tell her she is the daughter of my heart.
Kathy: That is so sweet. When is Charles getting married?
Maggie: Charles and Emily decided to wait until the others were married before walking down the aisle. Phillip and Priscilla were married in early fall. Zack and Angela will marry a couple of weeks before Charles and Emily.
Zack and Phillip were injured most severely. Priscilla decided she and Phillip could heal together. All the weddings have been beautiful.
These young men and women—and the two professors who were killed—have been part of our lives for several years. They all attended college together, and the professors organized the archaeological dig. They hoped to find biblical treasures, or at least fragments of biblical history. They are a close-knit group.
Kathy: Is there anything you would like to say before we wrap up?
Maggie: Yes. Americans should not hate one another. Our country was built on Christian principles, not hatred.
Please don’t judge me because I helped rescue my son and the sons of other parents. I dare say you would have done the same thing if you had been in my shoes.
Don’t judge me because I’m a woman. I worked hard to reach this office. Before judging others, ask yourself what you would have done.
We must not allow hatred to divide our country. We need to respect one another, appreciate the values of others, and learn to get along. God made us, and we are His children.
God bless America.