An investigation by The New York Times has shed light on a remarkable intersection of wealth, ambition, and American foreign policy. According to the report, a group of influential Syrian businessmen—foremost among them the Al-Khayyat family—used the Trump name as a strategic key to unlock Washington’s support for lifting sanctions on Syria. The story reveals how business interests and presidential branding converged during Donald Trump’s second term in ways that continue to stir debate in the American capital.
The newspaper traces the origins of the effort to the summer of 2025, when Syrian investor Mohamed Al-Khayyat and his partners presented Republican Congressman Joe Wilson with an audacious vision for the Syrian coast. Their proposal featured a cruise-ship port, a polo club, a Bugatti showroom, and a luxury golf course designed to signal Syria’s return to global investment maps.
The Trump Name as a Passport to Power
From the outset, the obstacle was obvious. American sanctions made financing such a project nearly impossible. According to the investigation, Wilson suggested that the project carry the name “Trump Golf Course,” convinced that the branding alone would draw the White House’s attention. Al-Khayyat later said that a Trump-branded resort had already been part of the concept.
In Washington, this was not dismissed as a mere marketing flourish. Many saw it as emblematic of a broader pattern in Trump’s second term, when the boundaries between presidential business interests and foreign policy became increasingly porous.
The Trump administration and the Trump Organization denied any connection between the proposed projects and political decisions. The White House insisted that the president fulfilled his constitutional duties ethically. The Al-Khayyat family maintained that their partnership with Jared Kushner had no bearing on sanctions policy. Yet these assurances did little to quiet the controversy, especially as momentum grew in Congress for easing sanctions to accelerate Syria’s reconstruction, a task requiring hundreds of billions of dollars.
A Slow but Steady Shift in Washington
In practice, the shift had already begun. By May 2025, the administration was taking steps to relax sanctions. In June, Trump signed an executive order lifting a substantial portion of the economic restrictions while preserving measures tied to terrorism, human rights, and entities associated with the former regime.
By the end of the year, Congress moved toward repealing the Caesar Act as part of a broader legislative package. The repeal became a cornerstone of the new American approach to Damascus. The United States, working with the United Nations, later agreed to additional measures, including lifting certain sanctions on Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and his interior minister, Anas Khattab. These decisions signaled a profound reorientation in Washington’s Syria policy.
Amid this transformation, Syrian-American lobbyists and business figures played a visible role. According to The New York Times, Mohamed Al-Khayyat returned to Washington carrying a symbolic “foundation stone” for the Trump-branded golf course, complete with the Trump logo, and presented it to Congressman Wilson. The gesture captured how the Trump brand itself had become a tool of political negotiation.
Networks of Influence Inside Congress
Syrian-American businessman Tariq Namo also engaged in lobbying efforts, drawing on personal connections and political donations. These efforts culminated in the introduction of a bill to repeal sanctions entirely. The repeal ultimately passed as part of a massive defense spending package in December 2025, which President Trump signed into law.
Meanwhile, the Al-Khayyat family began securing contracts worth billions of dollars. Their portfolio expanded to include the redevelopment of Damascus Airport, the construction of power plants, natural-gas projects in partnership with American companies, and the purchase of historic properties in the capital for conversion into high-end tourist destinations.
Yet the picture is far from uniformly bright. On the Syrian coast, where the Trump-branded resort is planned, local objections have grown. Farmers fear losing the land that sustains their families, at a moment when social and sectarian tensions remain raw after the fall of the previous regime.
In this landscape, reconstruction has become more than a promise of renewal. It has turned into a stage on which businessmen test the limits of influence, political ethics are scrutinized, and the Trump name carries a weight that extends far beyond real estate. The story of the Al-Khayyats and their Washington connections reveals how a single brand can shape the fate of a nation struggling to rebuild.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
