No one had this on their bingo card. But it happened all the same.
Because Trump met with a jihadi in the Oval Office.
Trump Hosts Historic White House Meeting with Syria’s Al-Sharaa, Paving Path for Regional Peace
In a landmark diplomatic move underscoring President Trump’s knack for bold deal-making, the White House opened its doors on November 10 to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa—the first Syrian leader to visit—signaling a fresh start for a nation long mired in chaos and offering a chance to stabilize the Middle East under American leadership.
Sanctions Lifted, Ties Rebuilt: Trump Gives Syria “A Chance at Greatness”
Fresh off the U.S. Treasury’s announcement delisting al-Sharaa—once a $10 million bounty target—and Syria’s interior minister from the terror blacklist, Trump extended sanctions relief for another six months, building on his May Saudi Arabia summit and June executive order to ease restrictions and spur economic revival.
The Department of War has launched more than a dozen strikes on boats, k*lling 76 people.
The visit came shortly after the U.S. Treasury Department announced it would remove al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister from its “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.” The department said on social media that the move was “In line with President Trump’s efforts to give Syria a chance at greatness.”
The State Department echoed the optimism, tying the suspension to Syria’s post-Assad reforms and Trump’s vision for prosperity.
In a separate Nov. 10 statement, the State Department said the suspension was issued “based on the actions taken by the Syrian government following the fall of the al-Assad regime” and “supports Syria’s efforts to rebuild its economy, restore ties with foreign partners, and foster prosperity and peace for all its citizens.”
Trump “expects to see concrete actions by the Syrian government to turn the page on the past and work toward peace in the region,” the statement added.
Al-Sharaa, who led the December 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad and has pledged a nationalist shift away from his group’s jihadist past, committed to joining the U.S.-led ISIS coalition, per administration sources—a step toward countering shared threats without endless American entanglements.
“We’ve All Had Rough Pasts”: Trump Praises Al-Sharaa’s Resolve Amid Conservative Calls for Domestic Focus
Trump hailed the former al-Qaeda commander-turned-leader as a pragmatic partner, emphasizing his ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and ongoing U.S.-Israel coordination for Syrian harmony, while touting the broader peace dividend from his first-term Abraham Accords.
Trump praised al-Sharaa as a “tough guy” who “comes from a very tough place.”
“We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East,” the U.S. President told reporters. “We have peace now in the Middle East – the first time that anyone can remember that ever happening.”
He briefly acknowledged al-Sharaa’s violent past, adding, “We’ve all had rough pasts.”
Trump also highlighted al-Sharaa’s connection to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said Washington is working with Israel on “getting along with Syria.”
In a social media post after the meeting, the Syrian presidency said he and Trump discussed “ways to strengthen and develop” bilateral relations along with “a number of regional and international issues of common interest.”
The meeting, capped by al-Sharaa’s Oval Office talks and a warm greeting to supporters outside, drew measured pushback from some conservatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who urged prioritizing U.S. issues like Obamacare reform over foreign summits—while praying for an end to Syrian Christian persecution in the ancient cradle of the faith.
“Syria is the oldest home of Christianity outside of Israel. The apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus,” Greene wrote in a Nov. 10 X post. “I pray the persecution ends, not only in Syria, but all around the world.”
