Featured Image Credit: Syrian Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, Politics, News, US News, World News
Madison Burgess
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, Politics, News, US News, World News
Donald Trump is facing backlash after asking the Syrian president an 'inappropriate question' about his marital status at the White House on Monday (November 10).
The US president, 79, met with with Syria's president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Washington, marking the first such visit from a Syrian leader in the country's history.
The meeting was to welcome the world leader into a US-led global coalition to fight the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
Al-Sharaa arrived at the White House a little after 11.30am and began his Oval Office meeting shortly afterwards - however, it didn't take long for the US president to make a comment that raised eyebrows.
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He presented the 43-year-old leader with a perfume bottle and sprayed the fragrance onto the politician, calling it 'the best fragrance'.
Trump continued: "And the other one is for your wife," before then asking: "How many wives?"
"One," Al-Sharaa replied, to which Trump said: "With you guys, I never know."
Al-Sharaa then appeared to ask Trump the same question back, to which he responded: "Uh, right now, one."
The moment has understandably caused quite a stir online, with social media users slamming Trump for the comment and calling him 'embarrassing'.
"He's got to be the most embarrassing being on the planet," one person wrote, while a second added: "What an incredibly tacky thing to say to an actual Presidential leader!"
One Twitter user wrote: "I don't understand why the GOP thinks Trump's only job is to make wholly inappropriate jokes like he's a schoolyard bully..."
A second chimed in with: "This man is UNBELIEVABLE," while a third added: "This is so weird and unsettling."
Another penned: "Don't forget Trump sprayed the guy with his namesake fragrance, totally uninvited."
A final user wrote: "Our country is being run by 12 year old boys."
This was the first official encounter between the US and Syria since 2000, when then-president Bill Clinton met Hafez Assad, the father of Bashar Assad.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday’s visit was 'part of the president’s efforts in diplomacy to meet with anyone around the world in the pursuit of peace'.
Trump has recently said that al-Sharaa is 'doing a very good job so far' and that a 'lot of progress has been made with Syria' since the US eased sanctions.
After the meeting, the US President wrote on Truth Social: "It was an Honor to spend time with Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the new President of Syria, where we discussed all the intricacies of PEACE in the Middle East, of which he is a major advocate. I look forward to meeting and speaking again."
Tyla has contacted the White House for comment.