President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Syria “to give them a chance at greatness”—a stunning reversal of decades of U.S. foreign policy, made at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The move comes ahead of Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader who took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. According to the White House, the two leaders will meet on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.
“Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, [and] killing in many years. That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade,” Trump said during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh.
President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” he continued. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off. Good luck, Syria, show us something very special.”
According to NBC News, Trump went on to outline what he described as a new vision for the Middle East—one built on economic partnerships and technological advancement, which he framed as a cure for the region’s long-standing divisions.
That vision diverges wildly from decades of bipartisan U.S. policy on Syria, which had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979 under the previous Assad regime. Under new leadership, there is now strong domestic bipartisan support, as well as international consensus, for giving Syria’s new government a chance to succeed.
From the liberal Brookings Institute, to the centrist Atlantic Council, to the right-wing American Conservative, many American foreign policy experts agree on Syria sanction relief. The European Union has already moved to ease its own sanctions against the former regime. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has called for an end to sanctions. The ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Jim Risch and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, have also called for sanctions relief. Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, on the other hand, have raised concerns about moving too quickly.
That doesn’t mean Trump made the right choice for the right reasons. Quite the opposite, in fact. Trump seemingly ignored all the expert advice around him, and was swayed into action by bin Salman, who President Joe Biden once vowed to make “a pariah” over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi—a killing that U.S. intelligence says the crown prince approved.
But Trump isn’t interested in moral judgments. During his current visit in Riyadh, he dismissed what he called the “affliction” of U.S. presidents trying to “look into the souls” of foreign leaders.
“It’s not our job,” he said, to dispense justice for their sins.
The United States has not yet reestablished diplomatic relations with Syria nor formally recognized al-Sharaa’s government, but Trump is treating him like a business partner anyway.
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at a Saudi embassy in Istanbul in October 2018.
As he cozies up to Syria’s new rulers, Trump has trashed NATO allies and mocked Canada, even floating nonsense about making it the 51st state. It’s not about principles; it’s about what Trump can get out of it.
In this case, reports are already circulating about a potential new Trump Tower in Syria’s capital, Damascus.
“[President al-Sharaa] wants a business deal for the future of his country,” said pro-Trump activist Jonathan Bass, who met with al-Sharaa on April 30.
Once again, Trump appears ready to toss aside U.S. policy and national security for personal gain. And while the Constitution bars sitting presidents from profiting from foreign governments, that’s certainly never stopped Trump before.
Before even departing for Saudi Arabia, Trump flaunted his transactional style by defending a proposed gift from Qatar, a luxury airplane. He called it a “contribution” that the United States should accept.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But it was, I thought it was a great gesture,” he said.
Trump says it's not the United States’ job to judge foreign leaders. But when there’s a business opportunity on the table, he’s more than happy to forgive war crimes, overlook ties to terrorist groups, and rewrite decades of U.S. policy.
This isn’t diplomacy—it’s self-dealing dressed up as strategy.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional information about support for lifting sanctions since the fall of Assad.
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