Far-right activist Laura Loomer lashed out at US President Donald Trump after he welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday.“ISIS is now in the White House,” the MAGA commentator posted on X. She said: “I voted for bombing ISIS and banning jihadists from coming into our country. Now ISIS is in the White House and I feel like America is being taken over by Muslims.” The visit marks a historic and controversial moment as Al-Sharaa is a former militant commander once detained by US forces. He is now being recognised as a partner in America’s global fight against ISIS. It is also the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington since the country’s independence nearly 80 years ago. In a move that stunned many across all party lines, Trump praised al-Sharaa in the Oval Office, describing him as a leader capable of rebuilding Syria after more than a decade of civil war.“We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful, and I think this leader can do it,” Trump said. “People said he’s had a rough past. We have all had rough pasts.”Al-Sharaa led the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — once listed as a terrorist organisation by the US — was captured and detained by American forces in Iraq between 2005 and 2011. His political rise followed the collapse of Syria’s Assad regime last December, ending nearly 14 years of conflict.The Trump administration also announced a temporary extension of sanctions relief under the Caesar Act, originally imposed on Bashar al-Assad’s regime for war crimes. A senior US official told PBS NewsHour that the administration supports a full repeal of the act, arguing that its removal is “key to allow US business and regional states to operate in Syria.”Not everyone is convinced by Trump’s outreach. Critics, including members of the Syrian diaspora and human rights groups, say the White House is legitimising a man with extremist ties.Despite protests, al-Sharaa was greeted by cheering supporters outside the White House, celebrating what they called a “new chapter” for Syria.
