President met with interim in Saudi Arabia, the first encounter between the two nations鈥 leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for the region as Syria struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.
The meeting marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.
Meanwhile, Trump said Qatar鈥檚 ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani reminded him of the Saudi crown prince. He called them both 鈥渢all, handsome guys that happen to be very smart鈥 鈥 between the president and his Gulf Arab hosts.
In an interview with Fox News aboard Air Force One, Trump to accept a donated replacement plane from Qatar, the second stop on his Middle East trip. accepting the $400 million jet is a national security threat.
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Education coalition condemns Trump鈥檚 campaign against universities
Dozens of higher education organizations are taking a stand against the Trump administration鈥檚 , calling on the government to 鈥渞eforge鈥 its ties with academia.
In a Wednesday , more than 50 groups said the nation suffers when research grants are 鈥渉eld hostage for political reasons and without due process.鈥 It said all Americans benefit from the technology and medical advances produced through the government鈥檚 .
The groups implore the government to respect colleges鈥 autonomy over their campuses. The signers include the American Council on Education, which represents hundreds of university presidents.
The Trump administration has cut research funding at , and , framing it as an effort to root out antisemitism.
A long receiving line
Trump stood with Al Thani to greet a procession of guests at the dinner. The line stretched down a palace hallway. Elon Musk, the world鈥檚 richest person and a top adviser to the president, was one of the attendees
Top administration officials, including Pete Hegseth, Scott Bessent and Susie Wiles, were there. So was Chris Ruddy, the founder of Newsmax, and Kelly Ortberg, the Boeing chief executive who had earlier in the day signed a deal to sell planes to Qatar.
After nearly an hour of shaking hands, the receiving line was over. Trump and Al Thani are now participating in a state dinner at the Lusail Palace.
The president seemed impressed by the building. 鈥淣ice house!鈥 he exclaimed.
Sanctions have touched every part of the Syrian economy
U.S. sanctions 鈥 along with similar measures by other countries 鈥 have led to shortages of goods from fuel to medicine, and made it difficult for humanitarian agencies to operate fully.
Companies around the world struggle to export to Syria, and Syrians struggle to import goods of any kind because nearly all financial transactions with the country are banned. That has led to a blossoming black market of smuggled goods.
Experts say it will take time, and the process for lifting the sanctions is unclear. But Trump鈥檚 decision to ease sanctions could bring much-needed investment to the country.
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Loud protestors interrupt RFK Jr. hearing, causing secretary to jump
Screams of 鈥淩FK kills people with AIDS鈥 erupted during Kennedy鈥檚 opening statements to a Senate committee on Wednesday.
Dozens of federal health workers and offices dedicated to HIV/AIDS research have been shuttered under Kennedy鈥檚 watch.
Kennedy was delivering remarks about the agency鈥檚 proposed budget when several women began screaming, causing him to jump from his chair. U.S. Capitol Police escorted the disrupters out.
鈥淭hat was a made for C-SPAN moment,鈥 said Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the committee.
US warns against helping Yemen鈥檚 Houthi rebels
The United States says it will pursue sanctions against any country, group or person that provides fuel, war material or other resources to Yemen鈥檚 Houthi rebels.
Last week, Trump announced that the U.S. on the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that agreed to stop its attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea.
Acting U.S. ambassador Dorothy Shea told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday that Iran has enabled Houthi attacks 鈥渨ith military, logistical, and intelligence support.鈥
鈥淭his council must not tolerate Iranian defiance of its resolutions and should impose consequences on sanctions violators using the tools at its disposal,鈥 she said.
Trump arrives for Qatari state dinner
The presidential motorcade has pulled up at the Lusail Palace outside the capital of Doha. There were palm trees and flags for the U.S. and Qatar, plus about two dozen camels.
Judge says Georgetown student can be released from immigration detention as case proceeds
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that a Georgetown scholar from India be released from immigration detention after he was detained in the Trump administration鈥檚 crackdown on foreign college students.
Khan Suri was arrested by masked, plainclothes officers on March 17 outside his apartment complex in Arlington, Virginia. Officials said his visa was revoked because of his social media posts and his as a Palestinian American. They accused him of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.
By the time Khan Suri鈥檚 petition was filed, authorities had already put him on a plane to Louisiana without allowing him to update his family or lawyer, Khan Suri鈥檚 attorneys said. A few days later, he was moved to Texas.
Would RFK Jr. vaccinate his kids today?
Kennedy said he would 鈥減robably鈥 vaccinate his children against measles today, if given the option.
Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat of Wisconsin, questioned Kennedy during the House hearing on his proposed budget for the nation鈥檚 health department, which would cut billions of dollars from infectious disease, medical research, maternal health and preschool programs.
After giving his answer, Kennedy demurred, saying he doesn鈥檛 want to seem like he鈥檚 dispensing advice. And he would not directly answer whether he鈥檇 vaccinate his kids against chickenpox or polio.
鈥淢y opinions about vaccines are irrelevant,鈥 Kennedy said. The health department will eventually 鈥渓ay out the pros and cons鈥 of vaccines in guidance, he said.
Trump sees a lot to like in the Middle East
For a former real estate developer with flamboyant tastes, this week鈥檚 trip has been a tantalizing glimpse at the wealth of his oil-rich hosts.
Trump has marveled at the 鈥減erfecto鈥 marble in Qatar and praised the 鈥済leaming marvels鈥 in Saudi Arabia. He鈥檚 also groused about the 鈥渕uch less impressive鈥 plane that serves as Air Force One.
The president鈥檚 envy will likely fuel his plans to upgrade the White House, which he鈥檚 talked about renovating and expanding.
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RFK Jr.鈥檚 attends first Senate hearing as health secretary
is making first appearances as health secretary before Congress 鈥 the House appropriations committee Wednesday morning and Senate health committee in the afternoon.
Senators have questions about at the $1.7 trillion Department of Health and Human Services, the steep cuts he鈥檚 made to vaccination campaigns and his response to that鈥檚 sickened 1,000 people.
His includes a $500 million boost for his 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥 initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles while deeply cutting infectious disease prevention, maternal health and preschool programs. Kennedy is sharing 鈥渉is vision on how HHS鈥 transformation will improve health outcomes, eliminate redundancies to save the American taxpayer, and streamline operations to improve efficiency and service,鈥 an agency statement says.
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Syrian leader told visiting congressman he was open to negotiating normal relations with Israel
Al-Sharaa told a visiting Republican congressman last month in Damascus that he was 鈥渙pen鈥 to negotiating a normalization of relations between Syria and Israel.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, an Indiana Republican, also asked the interim Syrian leader about signing an Abraham accord, pushed by the United States to normalize relations between Arab nations and Israel.
Al-Sharaa responded that 鈥渁fter some negotiations, he would be open to the Abraham accords,鈥 Stutzman recounted Wednesday by phone.
Al-Sharaa鈥檚 overriding goal was a free and unified Syria, with hopes of rebuilding its damaged economy through tourism, trade and commerce, Stutzman said.
鈥淲e have to watch day to day, and see what his actions are,鈥 the congressman said.
House Democrats say Congress would have to approve Trump鈥檚 acceptance of free Air Force One
House Democratic lawmakers are urging Republicans to schedule a vote if Trump accepts a free Air Force One replacement .
Rep. Ted Lieu, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, argued that congressional approval is required.
鈥淧eople need to ask: Why is a foreign country trying to give this massive gift to Donald Trump?鈥 Lieu said. 鈥淭hink about the precedent it would set.鈥
Trump has stressed that the plane would initially be donated to the Defense Department. After his term ends, he says it would be donated to a future presidential library.
US House Speaker: Trump鈥檚 plans for Qatar plane are 鈥榥ot my lane鈥
Mike Johnson declined to weigh in on Trump鈥檚 plans to accept a free plane from Qatar to replace Air Force One.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not my lane,鈥 the Republican leader said at a Wednesday news conference, although he later said he believes the emoluments clause doesn鈥檛 apply because the gift would go to the country, not to Trump himself.
Johnson said that he鈥檚 鈥渘ot following all of the twists and turns鈥 of the process as he focuses on passing a budget reconciliation bill.
Some tech stocks rise amid Mideast dealmaking
Super Micro Computer surged 12.7% Wednesday after signing a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabian data center company DataVolt.
The benchmark S&P 500 index that sits at the center of many 401(k) accounts has erased all its losses since Trump escalated his global trade war and is back to within 4.2% of its all-time high set in February.
Trump has delayed his most severe tariffs against America鈥檚 trading partners, but some import taxes remain and uncertainty continues to hang over businesses and consumers. The on-again-off-again nature of Trump鈥檚 trade policy has left companies unable to plan ahead and consumers nervous about spending.
Trump administration rescinds curbs on AI chip exports
A Biden-era rule due to take effect Thursday would have limited the number of artificial intelligence chips that could be exported to certain international markets 鈥 including Middle Eastern countries Trump without federal approval.
The rule sorted more than 100 countries into tiers of export restrictions. 鈥淭hese new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements,鈥 the Commerce Department .
Other nations and U.S. chipmakers Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices were opposed. Microsoft President Brad Smith told the Senate this week that the rule sent 鈥渁 message to 120 nations that they couldn鈥檛 necessarily count on us to provide the AI they want and need.鈥
White House reveals more details on Trump鈥檚 meeting with Syria鈥檚 new leader
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt鈥檚 statement says Trump urged al-Sharaa to:
1. diplomatically recognize Israel
2. 鈥渢ell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria鈥
3. help the U.S. stop any resurgence of the Islamic State group
4. assume responsibility for over a dozen detention centers holding some 9,000 suspected Islamic State members
These prisons are run by U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces who agreed last month that all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports and oil fields in the Northeast would be brought under the central government鈥檚 control by the end of the year.
Trump鈥檚 desire for Syria to take over the prisons also signals .
Trump praises his Qatari host as an 鈥榦utstanding man鈥
Trump said the Qatari leader reminds him of the Saudi crown prince, who he had just visited. He called them both 鈥渢all, handsome guys that happen to be very smart.鈥
Trump and Al Thani then signed economic and defense agreements:
5. The first had Qatar buying airplanes from Boeing, the American aerospace company whose chief executive attended the event. Trump said it was the largest order of jets in the company history, worth over $200 billion.
6. Next up was a defense deal and the purchase of military drones.
7. The final cooperation agreement was signed by Trump and Al Thani themselves.
Trump denies knowledge of $2 billion crypto deal with his family company
Eric Trump attended a recent cryptocurrency conference in the United Arab Emirates with Zach Witkoff, a founder of the Trump family crypto company, World Liberty Financial, and son of Trump鈥檚 do-everything envoy to the Mideast, Steve Witkoff.
During the conference, a state-backed investment company in Abu Dhabi announced it had chosen USD, World Liberty Financial鈥檚 stablecoin, to back a $2 billion investment in Binance, the world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency exchange. Critics say that allows Trump family-aligned interests to essentially take a cut of each dollar invested.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know anything about it,鈥 Trump said when asked by reporters about the transaction on Wednesday.
Eric and Donald Jr. traveled the Mideast ahead of Trump鈥檚 tour
It鈥檚 not just the 鈥済esture鈥 of a $400 million luxury plane that President says to accept from Qatar. It鈥檚 not even that the Trump family has fast-growing business ties in the Middle East that offer the potential of vast profits.
It鈥檚 the combination of these things and more 鈥 deals between a family whose patriarch oversees the U.S. government and a region whose leaders are fond of currying favor through money and lavish gifts 鈥 that鈥檚 raising concerns about their impact on U.S. policy.
Before Trump began his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. traveled the Middle East extensively in recent weeks, drumming up business for Eric Trump announced plans for an 80-story Trump Tower Dubai in the UAE鈥檚 largest city.
White House bristled at conflict of interest concerns
Asked before this trip if Trump might meet with people tied to his family鈥檚 business, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it鈥檚 鈥渞idiculous鈥 to 鈥渟uggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.鈥
鈥淭he president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,鈥 she said.
Administration officials have brushed off such concerns that Trump鈥檚 policy decisions could bleed into his family business interests, noting that Trump鈥檚 assets are in a trust managed by his children. A also bars The Trump Organization from striking deals directly with foreign governments, but unlike during his first term, allows deals with private companies abroad.
鈥淭he president is a successful businessman,鈥 Leavitt said, 鈥渁nd I think, frankly, that it鈥檚 one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.鈥
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Israel鈥檚 PM slams French president鈥檚 criticism of blocking aid into Gaza
Benjamin Netanyahu said Emmanuel Macron is echoing 鈥渄espicable propaganda鈥 from Hamas. He accused Macron of 鈥渄emanding that Israel surrender and reward terrorism.鈥
Macron had called Netanyahu鈥檚 decision to prevent all aid including food and medications from entering the Palestinian territory a 鈥渄isgrace.鈥
Gaza鈥檚 2.3 million people rely almost entirely on outside aid to survive and now face famine. Nearly half a million Palestinians could starve while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
Netanyahu鈥檚 statement Wednesday said Macron had 鈥渙nce again chosen to stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organization鈥 while Israel fights 鈥渇or its very existence鈥 following the Oct. 7 2023 Hamas attack.
Dealmaking while the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is suspended
鈥淚t sounds good on paper but in practicality, it鈥檚 a disaster,鈥 Trump said in February when he signed an executive order freezing enforcement of the law. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to mean a lot more business for America.鈥
Supporters see this law as an undeniable force for good in a corrupt world, a groundbreaking anti-bribery statute that has brought powerful businessmen to heel for secretly paying off foreign government officials to win contracts abroad.
Detractors say it unfairly hobbled American companies while foreign rivals, not so encumbered, swooped in.
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Trump to sign agreements with Qatar鈥檚 leader
Trump鈥檚 dealmaking in Qatar comes over the country鈥檚 gift 鈥 which Trump said he鈥檇 accept 鈥 of a luxury Boeing 747-8 that the U.S. could use as Air Force One.
Qatar has also played a central role in pay-to-play-style scandals around the globe:
8. Israeli authorities are investigating allegations that to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch PR campaigns to improve the Gulf nation鈥檚 image among Israelis.
9. Two European Union lawmakers were accused of taking money from Doha in
10. U.S. prosecutors in 2020 to secure the tournament in 2022.
11. In 2024, RTX Corp., the defense contractor , agreed to pay more than $950 million to resolve allegations that it to secure business with Qatar. Doha always has denied wrongdoing.
In a scenario mimicking the lavish Saudi welcome, Trump lands in Qatar
On his flight from Saudi Arabia, Air Force One was escorted by Qatari F-15 jets, according to a post on X by White House official Margo Martin. It was a repeat of , which was a high-profile move without recent precedent.
Trump was greeted at the airport by Qatar鈥檚 emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. Both leaders then walked down a receiving line of representatives from each country at the Amiri Diwan, the government palace. The ceremonial greeting also included an escort of riders on camelback.
While Al Thani shook hands with U.S. officials, he had a warmer greeting for Steve Witkoff, Trump鈥檚 envoy who has played a key role in Middle East negotiations. They clasped hands and pulled each other in for an embrace. Trump then sat down briefly with Al Thani and marveled at the government palace.
鈥淎s a construction person, I鈥檓 seeing perfect marble,鈥 said the former real estate developer. He described it as 鈥減erfecto.鈥
Is Putin leading Trump on?
President Donald Trump says he doesn鈥檛 think Russian President Vladimir Putin will go to Turkey for ceasefire talks with Ukraine unless he also goes.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if he would be there if I鈥檓 not there,鈥 Trump said, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he was flying from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
He noted that his schedule on Thursday is 鈥渁ll booked out鈥 with a state visit in Qatar, set to include an engagement with U.S. troops in the region. Trump didn鈥檛 categorically rule out visiting Turkey, but said he planned to send Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his stead.
Trump also said he鈥檒l know more in a few days if Putin is just leading him on on its openness to negotiations to end its war on Ukraine.
Asked if he believed Putin was just 鈥渢apping鈥 him, as he suggested earlier this month, Trump said in response: 鈥淚鈥檒l let you know in a few days.鈥
Trump's impressions of Syria's new leader: 鈥楶retty amazing鈥
Trump praised Syria's new leader after their meeting in Saudi Arabia.
He鈥檚 a 鈥測oung, attractive guy,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淭ough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.鈥
Trump also said he thought al-Sharaa has 鈥済ot a real shot at holding it together.鈥
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 got the potential to do 鈥 he鈥檚 a real leader. He led a charge and he鈥檚 pretty amazing,鈥 Trump said, adding that he believes al-Sharaa will eventually join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel.
鈥淚 think they have to get themselves straightened up,鈥 Trump says. 鈥淚 told him, 鈥業 hope you鈥檙e going to join when it鈥檚 straightened out.鈥 He said, 鈥榊es.鈥 But they have a lot of work to do.
No clue about stablecoin, Trump says
Trump says he 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 know鈥 how an Emirati investment firm chose a stablecoin launched by one of his businesses for a $2 billion investment.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know anything about it,鈥 Trump says when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One about the transaction.
A state-backed investment company in Abu Dhabi announced it had chosen USD, World Liberty Financial鈥檚 , to back a $2 billion investment in , the world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency exchange.
Critics say that allows Trump family-aligned interests to essentially take a cut of each dollar invested. Trump on Thursday is set to travel to Abu Dhabi on the final leg of his Gulf states trip that has seen his business and official interests intersect.
Gaza's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to at least 60
The Gaza Health Ministry says that about 60 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight and early on Wednesday morning.
In addition to strikes in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, that killed more than 50 people, including 22 children, additional strikes killed at least 10 people in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to the European Hospital.
Overnight in Jabaliya, rescue workers smashed through collapsed concrete slabs using hand tools, lit only by the light of cellphone cameras, to remove bodies of some of the children who were killed.
Iran unhappy with Trump's moves on Syria
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed displeasure at Trump鈥檚 announcement about the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria.
Araghchi, who is Iran鈥檚 nuclear negotiator, slammed Trump as having a 鈥渧ery deceitful viewpoint.鈥
鈥淲hat he stated about the hope of regional nations for a progressive, flourishing path, is the same path that people of Iran decided through their revolution,鈥 Araghchi said.
鈥淚t was the U.S. that blocked progress of Iranian nation through sanctions for more than 40 years as well as its pressures, military and nonmilitary threats,鈥 he added.
Trump dives into Mideast crises in his speech to GCC leaders
Trump told GCC leaders in Riyadh that he wanted to secure a deal that would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
He said he hoped for a 鈥渇uture of safety and dignity of the Palestinian people鈥 but not with Gaza鈥檚 current leaders, Hamas, who he said 鈥渄elight in raping, torturing and murdering innocent people.鈥 He said his sanctions relief for Syria would 鈥済ive them a fresh start.鈥
He told the room of regional leaders that the world was watching them 鈥渨ith envy鈥 but added: 鈥渋f we can simply stop the aggression from a small group of pretty bad actors.鈥
Trump also dove into U.S. politics, making sure to mention his victory in the 2024 election, which he called historic. He said the Biden administration 鈥渃reated havoc and bedlam.鈥
The Associated Press
