First visit by Syrian leader to White House in history comes as Washington pushes for deal with Israel
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa made history on Monday by becoming the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s independence in 1946. Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., where the two discussed a range of issues including sanctions relief, the ongoing fight against ISIS, and the integration of Kurdish regions into Syria’s political framework.
The visit immediately ignited controversy across the United States, particularly among Trump’s own voter base and members of the Republican Party. Critics have highlighted Al-Sharaa’s past role in regional conflicts, including his alleged involvement in the deaths of American soldiers during the Iraq War and his founding role in Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch during the country’s civil war.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was among the first to condemn the meeting, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that the White House was “legitimizing a war criminal.” She pointed to Al-Sharaa’s history of attacks on religious minorities and accused the administration of prioritizing foreign diplomacy over domestic concerns — a sentiment echoed by several prominent conservative commentators.
Adding to the controversy, Al-Sharaa’s delegation reportedly entered and exited the White House through a rear entrance, avoiding the traditional media-covered reception at the front. Unlike most foreign visits, there was no open press event in the Oval Office. Instead, the White House released a limited set of official photographs, fueling speculation that the administration sought to minimize public attention surrounding the meeting.
According to sources familiar with the talks, Trump pressed Al-Sharaa to accept a security and normalization deal with Israel — a key component of Washington’s broader Middle East strategy. While Al-Sharaa did not appear to commit to such an agreement, he reportedly secured a six-month extension of the suspension of the Caesar Sanctions, which were first eased in May following his initial meeting with Trump.