Brian Kilmeade Questions Trump Cozying Up to ‘Terrorist’ Syrian Prez Now That ‘He’s Got a Suit on and Trimmed Beard’
Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade questioned whether President Donald Trump should be getting close to Syrian President — and once-wanted terrorist — Ahmed al-Sharaa after the two met during the commander-in-chief’s Middle East tour on Wednesday.
“It’s interesting too, because this guy was a wanted terrorist who would have gotten you $20 million if you captured him,” Kilmeade said during an interview with Robert Greenway, who served as senior director on Trump’s National Security Council.
“Now he’s got a suit on and a trimmed beard and we’re greeting him, but he says he’s reformed his ways,” Kilmeade added.
Read the conversation here:
AINSLEY EARHARDT: Robert, what was your reaction to yesterday’s meeting? It was al-Sharaa, which is the new president of Syria, President Erdogan, President Trump and the leader of Qatar. And Karoline Leavitt on X yesterday, she put out Trump is encouraging President al-Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords with Israel, so that’d be Syria and Israel, what are those chances?
ROBERT GREENWAY: Well, I think the chances might be low. But I think it was right for the president to lean on partners and allies and establish trust. But it wasn’t done without expectations. As I understand it, the deal was that we would release sanctions, pressure on Syria provided they didn’t allow Russia and Iran back in and did not engage or support in the conduct of terrorism regionally or against the United States and if those conditions were met then I think it’s possible — but I think the other fracturing problem is that Al Sharaa only controls one of four Syrias in the moment and I’m not sure that’s likely to change in the near term. But it’s possible and I think it’s right to try and president has been willing to engage in peace discussions first and use force and leverage as a means of last resort.
BRIAN KILMEADE: It’s interesting too because this guy was a wanted terrorist who would have gotten you $20 million if you captured him. Now he’s got a suit on and a trimmed beard and we’re greeting him, but he says he’s reformed his ways.
Kilmeade’s remark came a day after Trump met with al-Sharaa in Qatar, the second leg of the president’s Middle East tour.
After that meeting, Trump told a reporter that he found al-Sharaa to be a “very good, young, attractive guy, tough guy” with a “very strong past.”
Al-Sharaa, once known as Mohammed al-Golani, fought against U.S. forces as an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist in Iraq. He’s still wanted on an outstanding terrorism warrant there.
In addition, the U.S. once had a $10 million bounty on his head. That bounty was rescinded in December 2024.
Watch above via Fox News.
