In a diplomatic moment that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday. The meeting marked the first official visit by a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence in 1946—an extraordinary turn given al-Sharaa’s past as a former Al-Qaeda commander once wanted by Washington with a $10 million bounty on his head.
The encounter quickly drew global attention after a video from the visit circulated online. In it, Trump gifts al-Sharaa a bottle of perfume, sprays it on him, and says, “It’s the best fragrance… And the other one is for your wife.” Then, in characteristic Trump style, he leans in with a joking question: “How many wives?”
Al-Sharaa responds, “One,” prompting laughter. Trump smiles and replies, “You never know!”
Beyond the light-hearted exchange, the meeting carried significant geopolitical weight. Al-Sharaa presented Trump with replicas of ancient Syrian artefacts—items he described as “the first alphabet, the first stamp, the first musical note, and the first customs tariff”—symbolic gestures meant to underscore Syria’s historic legacy.
Trump acknowledged his guest’s controversial past, saying, “We’ve all had rough pasts, but he has had a rough past. And I think, frankly, if you didn’t have a rough past, you wouldn’t have a chance.”
Al-Sharaa, 43, came to power last year after his Islamist forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in a swift and dramatic offensive that ended on December 8. While the U.S. has paused sanctions on Syria for 180 days, the Syrian leader is pressing for a permanent repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions imposed over years of human rights abuse allegations under Assad. But securing a lasting repeal would require action from Congress, not just the White House.
The meeting, blending humor with high-stakes diplomacy, marked a striking shift in U.S.–Syria relations—and signaled Trump’s willingness to engage even the most unlikely of global actors.