A senior American diplomat and close ally of Donald Trump has issued an apology after igniting outrage in Lebanon by branding reporters 'animalistic' in their behavior drawing fierce backlash. Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, was in Beirut on a mission Tuesday. That's where he met with the Lebanese president Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace to discuss efforts to demilitarize the Hezbollah militant group.
Deputy U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus was also present during the press conference, along with other representatives. During the press conference, members of the media were told that Barrack, who was already in the room, wouldn't be speaking there and would address the press at a separate event. That update riled up international journalists, leading Barrack to step up to the podium and say the one key word that threw him into boiling hot water.
'The moment this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we're gone,' he warned.
Aoun's office put out an apology of their own after Barrack reprimanded reporters. 'We regret the words that were mistakenly said by one of its guests on stage today,' adding, 'We wish to emphasize our full appreciation for all journalists and media representatives.'
In a somewhat tense exchange, the senior diplomat asked reporters to remain calm: 'You want to know what's happening? Act civilized, act kind, act tolerant -- because this is the problem with what's happening in the region. I beg you, do you think this is fun for us? Do you think this is economically beneficial for us, putting up with this insanity?' The remark triggered strong backlash among the media.
The Lebanese Press demanded a formal apology and warned that the ambassador would face a media boycott if he failed to respond. Zahera Harb, a senior journalism lecturer at City, University of London, said she was 'stunned' by Barrack's conduct toward the press, telling Al Jazeera, 'I can't believe he said those words... There's an outrage among many of the Lebanese journalists right now.'
In a clip shared Thursday from an interview with media figure Mario Nawfal on X, Barrack addressed the controversy surrounding his remarks.
'Animalistic was a word that I didn't use in a derogatory manner, I was just saying 'can we calm down, can we find some tolerance and kindness, let's be civilized.' But it was inappropriate to do when the media was just doing their job,' he said. He went on to admit, 'I should have been more generous with my time and more tolerant myself.'
Barrack, a longtime friend of Trump, served as a senior adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign. The Los Angeles-based investor also chaired Trump's inaugural committee, raising a staggering $107 million for the post-election celebrations. In 2021, U.S. prosecutors charged Tom Barrack with secretly working to promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates while advising Donald Trump during his campaign and presidency.
The government claimed Barrack, a wealthy California businessman, acted as an unofficial agent for the UAE from 2016 to 2018 without properly registering. However, in late 2022, a New York jury cleared him of all charges, finding him not guilty on every count. After the fact, Barrack ended up getting not one but two influential diplomatic roles from the president.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Ambassador Barrack for comment.