内容摘要：Phillip Laster Sr. and his wife Ashanta Laster hold a football signed by teammates of their son Phillip Laster Jr., in Brandon, Miss., Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, that was given to them on senior night after Laster Jr.'s passing. A portrait of Laster Jr. is behind them. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Phillip Laster Sr. and his wife Ashanta Laster hold a football signed by teammates of their son Phillip Laster Jr., in Brandon, Miss., Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, that was given to them on senior night after Laster Jr.'s passing. A portrait of Laster Jr. is behind them. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The White House billed the al-Sharaa meeting as a brief “pull aside” that ended up lasting 33 minutes.Trump told reporters that the meeting went “great” and described him as a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past.”

“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said.Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion. He still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. The U.S. once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al-Qaida.Al-Sharaa returned to his home country of Syria after the conflict began in 2011 and led al-Qaida’s branch called the Nusra Front. He changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and cut links with al-Qaida.

The sanctions go back to the rule of Bashar Assad, who was ousted in December, and were intended to inflict major pain on his economy.In Qatar, Trump was greeted at the airport by

as it neared Doha, the capital city.

As he sat down for talks at Amiri Diwan, the administrative office of the emir, Trump told the Qatari leader he was impressed with the “perfecto” marble as well as the camels that took part in the arrival ceremony.Nothing was said about the

who raced to develop the country’s infrastructure for the World Cup tournament three years ago, or Qatar’s, which makes possible such elaborate central planning.

The Republican president’s admiration reflects an aesthetic and political vision at odds with American tradition. After declaring independence from the British monarchy, the Founding Fathers wanted to eschew anything that suggested royalty. Even as the United States emerged as the global superpower, the country and its leaders emphasized a facade of humility.But that’s never been Trump’s style. The billionaire’s New York City penthouse is embellished with gold and marble, and parts of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida are modeled after France’s Palace of Versailles.