During his visit to the United States, Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa's interview with Fox News raised eyebrows across social media for his evasive responses regarding his past affiliation with the terrorist organization al-Qaida.
During the interview, the anchor asked the Syrian president, also known as "al-Julani," about his political evolution: "Just 11 months ago, you were designated by the US government a foreign terrorist; you were actually on the wanted list. Times have obviously changed, now you're playing basketball with military leaders here in Washington," she said, referring to footage showing al-Sharaa with CENTCOM Gen. Brad Cooper from Nov. 10. "What has changed in the US-Syria relationship?" she continued.
The Syrian president answered factually about his meeting with US President Donald Trump, who decided to lift the sanctions on him, adding that "there was a decision at the United Nations Security Council to lift the sanctions on me and several other people," while refraining from addressing the interviewer's question about his past.
Twenty years ago Ahmed al-Sharaa was an American prisoner of war in Iraq. He's now playing hoops with the commander of CENTCOM.
Insane glow up. I don't agree with the jihadism necessarily but a reminder to never give up. pic.twitter.com/WnNHDepQTb
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) November 8, 2025
The anchor then asked if the matter was discussed personally with President Trump, saying: "Has President Trump raised with you your own past affiliation with al-Qaida terrorism?" to which al-Sharaa responded, "I think this is a matter of the past, we did not discuss it actively. We talked about the present and the future, the investment opportunities in the future in Syria." He then added that Syria is now viewed as a "geo-political ally."
When the anchor raised the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans in al-Qaida's attacks, the Syrian president claimed he was "only 19 years old, a very young person who didn't have any decision-making power at that time." He added, "I don't have anything to do with it; al-Qaida wasn't present then, in my area, so you're speaking to the wrong person."
Al-Sharaa's responses drew criticism across social media, with users suggesting the leader is "a terrorist in a suit" and claiming it is merely "a facade, nothing's changed about him." Another user said, "the only things that changed are his suit and the gel in his hair, trying to convince the world he is not a serial killer."
Ahmed al-Sharaa rose to international prominence following the collapse of the Assad regime in December, when he assumed Syria's presidency as the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
