During a White House meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday, Nov. 10, President Donald Trump made an unexpected remark.
As Trump, 79, presented al-Sharaa, 43, with a bottle of perfume, he sprayed it on the Syrian leader, calling it “the best fragrance.”
‘How many wives? One?’ Trump asks Syria’s new leader in White House — video
Trump gifted Al-Shaar perfume and went on to SPRAY him with it
‘This is the best fragrance! And the other one is for your wife’
Al-Sharaa assured Trump he only has one wife. Vibe check passed, too pic.twitter.com/SAjO6Vc8GH
— RT (@RT_com) November 12, 2025
“And the other one is for your wife,” Trump added, before asking with a grin, “How many wives?”
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“One,” al-Sharaa responded.
“With you guys, I never know,” Trump joked.
This was the third meeting between the two presidents and their first in Washington, D.C. The pair previously met in May during a Gulf Cooperation Council summit and again in September at a UN General Assembly dinner, according to Reuters.
The meeting marked a historic milestone — the first official U.S.-Syria leader meeting since Syria’s independence from France in 1946, AP reported. Al-Sharaa, who overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime nearly a year ago, has been on a global diplomatic tour since assuming power.
Once labeled a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” al-Sharaa was removed from the U.S. sanctions list last week. A former al-Qaeda commander, he previously had a $10 million bounty on his head, according to Al Jazeera.
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The visit came shortly after the U.S. Treasury Department temporarily suspended the Caesar Act sanctions for 180 days — six years after they were first imposed under Assad’s rule. However, as Reuters noted, only Congress has the authority to permanently lift those sanctions.
Since taking office, al-Sharaa has sought to distance himself from his militant past, emphasizing national unity and reconstruction, NBC News reported.
“We’ve all had rough pasts, but he’s had a rough past. And frankly, if you didn’t have a rough past, you wouldn’t have a chance,” Trump said, referring to al-Sharaa’s history.
According to NBC News, al-Sharaa has agreed to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, and Washington has authorized Syria to reopen its embassy.
“The United States will allow Syria to resume operations at its Embassy in Washington to enhance counterterrorism, security, and economic cooperation,” a senior administration official told NBC News.