The U.S. and Qatar have agreed to a $1.2 trillion "economic exchange," a deal that includes Qatar's purchase of $200 billion worth of Boeing jets plus Qatari investment in U.S. infrastructure projects like transportation, energy, and urban development.
The president's deals with Qatar have raised eyebrows, given the nation's history of supporting entities linked to terrorism, including some that have targeted the United States.
In 2011, Qatar was found to have provided financial aid, military training, and weapons to Libyan rebels during that country's revolution. Some had ties to al-Qaeda.
Trumps recent trip the the Middle East included economic agreements aimed at strengthening ties and future trade opportunities as well as pledges for enhanced defense and security cooperation down the road.
Representative Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) told "Washington Watch" Thursday that Trump's plan might work for Qatar, but that does not mean Syria needs any favors from the U.S. right now.
The president's Syria decision offers humanitarian relief and fast tracks economic recovery for a country that has struggled with civil war, but it also comes with security concerns and political backlash.
Trump outlined some of his plans in his first stop, Saudi Arabia, signaling a willingness to deal with Middle East nations while accepting cultural differences – a different approach from some past efforts to introduce democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"When he was in Saudi Arabia, he laid out the premise of commerce versus chaos, and he had a really strong rebuke of the kind of neoconservative interventionism, nation-building efforts." Davidson told show host Tony Perkins. "I think it was an incredibly good speech."
Different approaches to different countries
Respectful treatment of Qatar could reach goals better than harsher methods.
"Laying out a future that promises not just one deal but a long relationship I think sets a great tone for a vision of mutual trade and respect for differences," Davidson noted. "My hope is that we keep pushing some of the values like religious freedom and, frankly, safety for people that disagree in some of these places."
But mutual respect might not be the best approach with Syria, whose interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has deep ties to al-Qaeda and has fought against the U.S.
He pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2003, jailed for a stint at Abu Ghraib prison.
At the direction of al-Qaeda leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, al-Sharaa established a Syrian branch of al-Qaeda known as the Nusrah Front.
He was designated as a terrorist by the U.S. in 2013, and a bounty of $10 million was placed on his head under the "Rewards for Justice" program.
Then in 2016, in a rare appearance on camera, he announced a break from al-Qaeda for the Nusrah Front and the next year reorganized with followers at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that eventually toppled the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.
That is a lot of past for Trump's trust to overcome.
"It was kind of shocking to see him embrace Syria's new president, given his past as a terrorist leader. Going back to the al-Nusrah Front, a guy who spent his life as a terrorist is now the leader of Syria," Davidson said. "Hopefully this path offers a peaceful future not just for the United States and Syria, but for the people there."
Not pushing views, political or religious
Trump did not publicly mention religious freedom in conversations with Middle East leaders.
That did not surprise Davidson, who doubts the president "is going to lead with those things in his administration." He said it is important to read the room when dealing with similar yet different styles of government in the region.
"In Syria, where you have a long presence of diverse populations, minority people groups, and people who have been Christians, you want to really make sure you protect them," said the Ohio rep. "Unfortunately in Saudi Arabia, while they may have had Christians at one point, they're very deep underground. If they're still alive, they're being pretty quiet about it."
Saudi Arabia is designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. That designation has been in place since 2004. It operates under a mostly unwritten version of Sharia law, which gives prosecutors and judges wide latitude in enforcing Islamic law.
This system often leads to harsh sentences for crimes like blasphemy and apostasy, which include large fines, long terms in prison, floggings, and even death, although the death penalty has not been implemented for these crimes recently.
"It is a theocratic kingdom, so they certainly aren't touting themselves as some sort of democratic republic that some other places are," Davidson said.
Still, the U.S. is not pushing religious views or political views like democracy.
"There's a balance to be struck here," Davidson said. "We don't want to impose our views and values on others."
