by Leo Hohmann, Leo’s Newsletter:
An examination of Trump family business ties in the Middle East goes a long way toward explaining the moves that shocked MAGA.
Many conservatives have expressed shock and dismay that President Donald Trump would speak so highly of an Islamic terrorist, calling him “good looking” and a “tough guy,” even inviting him to the White House.
They shouldn’t be surprised. For Trump, it’s all about business. And the lines between U.S. foreign policy and the Trump family business have increasingly been blurred the longer Trump has served in politics.
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You want to know why President Trump invited former al-Qaida terrorist Muhammad al-Julani to the White House after he morphed from terror kingpin into Syrian head of state, having changed his name to Ahmed al-Sharaa, trimmed his beard and traded his keffiyeh for a Western suit? You want to know why the president agreed to lift sanctions on the Syrian regime led by Julani?
Clues to Trump’s bizarre embracing of the Syrian strongman are found in his business ties to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis are the epicenter of global Sunni Islam, which is engaged in a centuries long bitter fued with Shia Islam, centered in Iran. The West has always courted the Sunnis and the East, led by Russia, sides with the Shia and Iran.
A U.S.-aided coup in Syria late last year ousted the secular Shia-supporting dictator Bashar al-Assad from Syria and replaced him with a Sunni dictator, Mr. Julani, who once led ISIS militants in the region and had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head.
Are things starting to make sense now? If not, stick with me, as it will become even clearer as to why Julani has suddenly gone from criminal terrorist to invited White House guest.
Trump was first introduced to Julani by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when Trump paid a visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh in May 2025. You can see the three together in the photo below, which was posted to X by the White House press secretary.
Forbes has a new report out detailing the Trump family’s longtime business dealings with the Saudis. These relationships date back to 1987 but really gained steam following Trump’s first term in the White House.
Trump tweeted on October 16, 2018, one day after parroting a claim from Saudi Arabia’s king that he did not know what happened to murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, “I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!”
