Trump gifted perfume to Syrian President al-Sharaa at the White House, joking about wives. Al-Sharaa, ex-al-Qaeda commander, discussed rebuilding Syria and US suspended sanctions.
A video has gone viral of US President Donald Trump presenting a bottle of perfume to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House and playfully asking him the number of wives.
Trump on Monday met his Syrian counterpart, marking the first visit by a Syrian leader to Washington since the country’s independence in 1946.
While spraying a dab of scent in al-Sharaa’s direction, on Monday, Trump said: “It’s the best fragrance. And the other one is for your wife.” “How many wives?” Al-Sharaa, momentarily taken aback, responded “one,” prompting a ripple of laughter from Trump and other officials at the White House. Trump then quipped back, “You never know!”
‘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
The 43-year-old was a former al-Qaeda commander who overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad last December. He was the former head of Syria’s al-Nusra Front, who once had a $10 million bounty on his head for orchestrating multiple attacks across Syria.
The meeting came as the US Treasury Department announced a six-month suspension of sanctions on Damascus, signalling a dramatic shift in relations between the two nations.
Following the talks, Trump praised the new Syrian leader. “He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I like him,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful… We have peace now in the Middle East – the first time anyone can remember that ever happening.”
