Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) urged Congress to back President Donald Trump’s Middle East strategy and repeal the Caesar Act during an exclusive interview on Breitbart News Saturday one day after publishing an op-ed on Breitbart about recent developments in Syria and the broader Middle East.
In his Breitbart op-ed, published Friday, Wilson described accompanying Ambassador Tom Barrack and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on a recent trip to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, where he said he witnessed historic opportunities for peace and stability following Assad’s ouster in December 2024. Wilson argued that the Caesar Act, enacted in 2019 to impose sanctions on Assad’s government, now hinders U.S. policy by discouraging long-term investment in Syria’s reconstruction.
Speaking to Breitbart News, Wilson explained President Trump’s efforts had created “a real opportunity” to stabilize Syria and the Middle East. He compared Assad’s fall to the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and credited Trump’s “peace through strength” approach for disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon and pushing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard out of Syria. He added that Lebanon’s cabinet had already begun steps to disarm Hezbollah, describing it as part of the “ripple effect” of Assad’s fall.
Wilson detailed meetings in Damascus with President al-Sharaa, the defense and foreign ministers, and a Christian cabinet member, noting the government’s attempts to form an inclusive administration.
He emphasized that Assad’s regime had left behind severe humanitarian devastation, saying “half a million people were murdered” and that Syria was “the only country on Earth” where half the population was dislocated. He warned that efforts to fragment Syria could open the door to ISIS and allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to reestablish military bases there.
He stated two million Syrians had already returned home, calling it “an opportunity to rebuild, provide a stable, sovereign country.”
The South Carolina Republican also tied the issue to broader global developments, citing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s summit in Beijing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Wilson contended that adversaries “are telling us what they want to do,” pointing to China’s military buildup, Russia’s regional ambitions, and Iran’s stated opposition to 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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