Tom Barrack, formerly Trump’s special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, recently headed a US delegation to Lebanon. It was his remarks at a news conference that immediately triggered a firestorm of criticism. The extraordinary delegation included heavy hitters such as Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. It featured Congressman Joe Wilson and Morgan Ortagus, at the time deputy envoy to Syria.
At one point during the press conference, Barrack berated Lebanese reporters for all asking questions at the same time. He framed their actions as part of a greater “issue” in the Middle East. He implored them to conduct themselves in a “civilized” manner. To emphasize this point, he cautioned that aggressive and disorganized questioning would force the delegation to exit the event immediately.
“Please, be quiet for a moment. And I wanna tell you something. The moment this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone. So, 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,” – Tom Barrack.
Barrack’s remarks generated widespread outrage on social media as soon as they aired, especially from Lebanese journalists, who called Barrack’s comments “racist.” So many shared their anger and frustration at what they saw as a cavalier shrugging off of the Lebanese sense of culture and design professionalism.
Ali Hashem, a Lebanese journalist, responded critically, stating that “the level of arrogance US officials demonstrate in Lebanon is humiliating for the country.” Foreign policy journalist Hala Jaber noted that Barrack’s conduct was fitting of a “19th-century colonial commissioner.” She reiterated the fact that his comments were considered especially contemptuous.
The Lebanese presidency quickly released a statement on X that cited Lebanese-American relations and regretted Barrack’s inflammatory comments. They emphasized that this type of hubris on the part of US officials does not do justice to the dignity of the Lebanese.
“regrets the statements made from its platform,” – The Lebanese presidency.
Barrack’s visit aimed to bolster US support for Lebanon while addressing the ongoing influence of Hezbollah, which has been significantly weakened in recent months following an Israeli campaign launched after Hezbollah’s attack on Israeli-held territory in support of Hamas in October 2023. The US has shown its readiness to help Lebanon but only if the Lebanese government shows serious resolve to disarm and marginalize Hezbollah.
