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Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) encouraged Congress to support President Donald Trump’s Middle East policy and abolish the Caesar Act during an interview on – News Saturday, following the release of his op-ed discussing recent events in Syria and the Middle East as a whole.
In his op-ed published on Friday, Wilson recounted joining Ambassador Tom Barrack and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on a visit to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. He noted observing key chances for establishing peace and stability after the removal of Assad in December 2024. Wilson claimed that the Caesar Act, originally passed in 2019 to sanction Assad’s regime, now obstructs U.S. interests by deterring long-term investments in Syria’s rebuilding process.
Talking to – News, Wilson highlighted President Trump’s initiatives that have paved a “real opportunity” to stabilize Syria and the Middle East. He likened Assad’s downfall to the Berlin Wall’s collapse in 1989, attributing Trump’s “peace through strength” strategy for both dismantling Hezbollah in Lebanon and for driving Iran’s Revolutionary Guard out of Syria. He noted that Lebanon’s government had commenced efforts to disarm Hezbollah, terming it as a part of the “ripple effect” following Assad’s collapse.
Wilson also described conferences held in Damascus with President al-Sharaa, the defense and foreign ministers, and a Christian cabinet member, mentioning the government’s endeavors to create an all-encompassing administration.
He stressed that Assad’s regime had inflicted severe humanitarian crises, citing “half a million people were murdered” and identifying Syria as the “only country on Earth” with half of its populace displaced. He cautioned that fragmenting Syria could lead to an ISIS emergence and grant Russian President Vladimir Putin opportunities to restore military bases in the region.
He stated two million Syrians had already returned home, calling it “an opportunity to rebuild, provide a stable, sovereign country.”
The South Carolina lawmaker further linked the scenario to broader global trends, referencing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting in Beijing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Wilson asserted that adversaries are “showing us their plans,” highlighted by China’s military expansions, Russia’s local aspirations, and Iran’s open hostility towards Israel.
He asserted the Chinese Communist Party seeks to become the world’s dominant power by 2049, describing its military expansion as “the largest peacetime buildup in world history.”
He praised Trump’s record of direct engagement with foreign leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as well as decisive action such as ordering B-2 bomber strikes that destroyed Iran’s nuclear program without committing U.S. troops to a prolonged ground war.
Wilson noted Trump “tries with everybody,” but when foreign leaders “betray him and stab him in the back,” the president responds firmly on behalf of the American people. He recounted that before authorizing strikes on Tehran, Trump gave its leadership two weeks, after which the 30,000-pound bombs “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capability, preventing threats to Israel and the United States.
Wilson’s op-ed underscored bipartisan efforts to repeal the Caesar Act through legislation he is advancing with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Sen. Shaheen, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). His piece outlined that lifting sanctions would allow American businesses to lead Syria’s reconstruction, strengthen Israel’s security, and prevent Russia, China, or Iran from regaining influence.
“The way forward will not be easy or perfect,” Wilson wrote, but he maintained that Ambassador Barrack’s peace initiatives and Trump’s strategy offered a path to stability in Syria and the potential return of U.S. troops stationed there.
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