Trump's week in review: Syrian president visits White House, gov't shutdown ends, BBC apologizes
1. Trump meets with Syrian president at the White House
On Monday, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House. After the meeting, which marked the first appearance of a Syrian head of state at the White House since the country’s establishment in 1946, Trump announced a six-month suspension of sanctions against Syria.
The suspension of sanctions against Syria reflects the Trump administration’s confidence in the country’s new leader, despite being affiliated with al-Qaeda. He changed his name from Abu Mohammed al-Jolani to Ahmed al-Sharaa after he rose to power following the toppling of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.
“We have to make Syria work. Syria is a big part of the Middle East,” Trump said. “We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful. And I think this leader can do it; I really do.”
Trump characterized his outreach to Syria as part of his ongoing effort to ensure peace in the Middle East. He detailed how “We’re working also with Israel on getting along with Syria, getting along with everybody, and that’s working amazingly.”
According to a Syrian readout of the meeting, Trump and al-Sharaa “addressed the bilateral relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the United States, as well as ways to strengthen and develop them, in addition to a number of regional and international issues of common interest.”
In addition to Trump, other members of the administration who attended the meeting include Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.
Read: 5 facts about Syria’s Islamist rebel group HTS and its leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
