Trump Hosts Syria's Ahmad al‑Sharaa at Closed-Door White House Meeting

Overview

• President Donald Trump met Syrian leader Ahmad al‑Sharaa at the White House on November 10 in a session not open to the press.
• Al‑Sharaa entered and departed through a different access point than usual for bilateral meetings, underscoring the private nature of the visit.
• Brief footage from the encounter shows Trump gifting cologne and asking al‑Sharaa how many wives he has, followed by a quip captured on video.
• U.S. officials present the talks as aiming to maintain forces at the Damascus airbase to implement a Syria–Israel security arrangement, monitor ceasefires, and bolster counter‑ISIS efforts.
• Coverage notes al‑Sharaa’s past leadership ties to HTS/al‑Nusrah and recalls the U.S. removal of HTS from its terrorist list in July, fueling scrutiny over engagement with a formerly extremist‑linked figure.