President Donald Trump’s first-ever meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House took an unexpectedly informal turn when the U.S. leader sprayed cologne on his guest and joked about the Syrian president having multiple wives.

During a private bilateral meeting Monday in the Oval Office, Trump was seen spraying cologne on al-Sharaa and members of his delegation.

“This is the best fragrance. Okay, so what we’ll do, take that. Put it in. And the other one is for your wife,” Trump said in the clip. “How many wives, one? With you guys I never know, right? I never know.”

Al-Sharaa, who smiled but did not respond to the remark, is a former al-Qaeda commander who fought against U.S. forces in Iraq and was once the subject of a $10 million U.S. bounty. He was removed from the U.S. terror list shortly before his visit to Washington, a move that paved the way for the first Syrian head of state to enter the White House since Syria gained independence in 1946.

The meeting came just days after the Trump administration extended its pause on U.S. sanctions against Syria for another 180 days. The extension, according to administration officials, is part of a broader diplomatic effort to “encourage regional stabilization” following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.

Al-Sharaa’s forces toppled Assad in December 2024, ending more than two decades of authoritarian rule and prompting Assad to flee to Russia, where he remains in exile.

During his White House visit, al-Sharaa reportedly presented Trump with symbolic gifts, including replicas of ancient Syrian artifacts — gestures meant to signal Syria’s “rebirth” under new leadership.

Analysts say al-Sharaa’s primary goal is to secure a permanent repeal of U.S. sanctions that continue to cripple Syria’s post-war economy. Those sanctions, first imposed in response to Assad-era human rights abuses, have remained one of the main barriers to full normalization with the West.

Trump has not publicly commented on whether the U.S. intends to lift sanctions entirely, though the warm tone of Monday’s meeting — and his personal rapport with al-Sharaa — have drawn both praise from allies and criticism from opponents who accuse him of legitimizing a former terrorist leader.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)