President Trump’s Oval Office meeting this week with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was nothing short of historic — the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House since 1946, and a clear signal that America will engage where its interests and security are at stake. Conservatives should welcome decisive diplomacy that moves beyond endless lecturing from the sidelines and seeks practical results for American security and regional stability.
The man in the chair across from the president is a complicated figure: once a leader in rebel ranks tied to al-Qaida-linked factions and subject to a U.S. bounty, al-Sharaa now commands a fragile, post-Assad Syria and has rebranded himself as the country’s transitional leader. That uncomfortable reality is precisely why pragmatic engagement, not reflexive isolation, can sometimes produce better outcomes for Americans and for vulnerable minorities on the ground.
Washington’s move to partially suspend certain sanctions and open a pathway for cooperation — while insisting dealings with Russia and Iran remain off the table — is a hard-headed attempt to extract American gains: counterterrorism cooperation, reconstruction contracts, and influence over Syria’s future direction. If done with firm oversight and clear benchmarks, lifting targeted sanctions temporarily can be a tool to reduce extremism and protect U.S. troops and citizens from another endless foreign morass.
That said, conservatives must not let realism become complacency. Many on the ground, including Syrian Christians and other religious minorities, understandably fear being traded away for geopolitical convenience; their concerns deserve genuine answers, not platitudes. Human rights groups and regional observers have raised red flags about commitments to protect minorities and to hold accountable those responsible for past abuses.
To critics on the left who decry the meeting as an act of moral betrayal, the conservative reply should be firm: America’s highest duty is to protect its people and its interests, and sometimes that means negotiating with unsavory figures to prevent worse outcomes. That does not excuse past violence, nor should it mean waiving oversight — Congress and the administration must attach iron-clad conditions to any economic or diplomatic cooperation.
If the Trump administration is serious about helping Syria’s Christian communities and other persecuted groups, it will demand verifiable guarantees, independent monitors, and immediate sanctuaries financed through conditional reconstruction aid. Rewarding cooperation must come with obligations: demilitarization of extremist elements, transparent reconciliation processes, and guarantees that Russian and Iranian influence will not be expanded under the guise of reconstruction.
Conservatives who love liberty and protect the oppressed should hold the line — backing smart, strategic engagement while insisting on accountability and results. President Trump has opened a door; patriots must now insist that every step through it strengthens America, preserves religious freedom, and keeps hostile powers from filling any vacuum.
