Trump Sprays Perfume on Syrian President Once Designated as Al-Qaeda Terrorist, Jokes About Wives
- Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa entered the White House quietly, avoiding journalists and their probing question
- A candid video captured Donald Trump’s unusually warm welcome for the former militant leader
- Light-hearted jokes and cologne sprays marked a striking contrast to Sharaa’s past as a US prisoner
The Syrian president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, arrived at the White House through a side entrance, avoiding the press. Journalists, who had prepared questions about his past as a jihadist, were kept out of the Oval Office.
A candid video revealed the warmth of Donald Trump’s private greeting for Mr Sharaa, who had recently completed his journey from militant leader to head of state.
Source: Twitter
Trump sprays cologne on Sharaa
“This is men’s fragrance,” said Mr Trump, as he removed the golden cap from a bottle of his own cologne and sprayed it on the clearly reluctant Syrian leader. He added: “It’s the best fragrance. OK?”
Mr Trump explained there was a second bottle for his wife before joking: “How many wives do you have? One?”
Sharaa laughs at Trump’s joke
Mr Sharaa, who until days earlier had been classified as a “specially designated global terrorist”, laughed and confirmed he had just one wife. Mr Trump responded with a smile and a slap on his arm, saying: “With you guys, I never know.”
The light-hearted reference to Islam’s allowance of up to four wives under strict conditions marked a striking contrast to Mr Sharaa’s last encounter with the United States. Decades earlier, he had been held at the notorious Abu Ghraib military prison in Iraq.
See the video below:
Who is Ahmad al-Sharaa?
Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (born 29 October 1982), also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is a Syrian politician, revolutionary, and former rebel commander who has served as the president of Syria since 2025.
Source: Getty Images
Former Syrian president flees as rebels announce entry
Legit.ng earlier reported that early on Sunday, December 8, rebel fighters claimed they captured the Syrian capital of Damascus. As reported by Reuters, the rebels announced that President Bashar al-Assad had fled and that liberation had come to the people.
The media platform quoted Hassan Abdul-Ghani, senior commander of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as saying in a post on WhatsApp: "We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad. We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad. "To the displaced people around the world, Free Syria awaits you."
The mood in Damascus appears to be one of confusion and fear, with many people unable to find out exactly what is going on as rebel factions approach ever closer, the BBC reported. Assad's location was not immediately known, but multiple media reports indicate he has left Damascus. Also, fighters with the Syrian opposition movement Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) breached the capital Damascus early Sunday, December 8, reportedly freeing prisoners held in the country’s Sednaya Prison, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.
Source: Legit.ng
