Trump meets with Syria’s former jihadist president at White House

President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander, to the White House on Nov. 10.

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.”

Al-Sharaa, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, led the forces that toppled Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024. CatholicVote reported at the time that al-Sharaa — then known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani — “has thus far refrained from targeting religious minorities and claims to pursue a nationalist agenda rather than a radical Islamist one,” despite his group’s Islamist roots.

Also on Nov. 10, the U.S. extended its suspension of most sanctions on Syria for another six months, according to The Hill. 

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.

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.”

Meanwhile, 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.”

According to the Washington Examiner, Trump began rebuilding ties with Syria in May when he met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the visit, Trump announced plans to begin dismantling sanctions against Damascus. In June, he signed an executive order lifting several additional restrictions.  

The White House meeting drew criticism from several conservatives, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has repeatedly urged the administration to prioritize domestic issues over foreign policy.

“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.”

She added, “However, I would really like to see nonstop meetings at the WH on domestic policy not foreign policy and foreign country’s leaders.”