U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack Sparks Outrage In Beirut With “Animalistic” Remark

 

United States Special Envoy Tom Barrack drew widespread anger on Tuesday after telling Lebanese journalists to act “civilized, not animalistic” during a press conference in Beirut.

Barrack, who was accompanied by Deputy Envoy Morgan Ortagus, is visiting Lebanon as part of U.S. efforts to pressure the government into disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant and political group.

Tensions flared during the briefing when multiple reporters asked questions at once — a standard practice in crowded Middle Eastern press conferences. Barrack interrupted, rebuking the journalists:

“Please, be quiet for a moment. 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,” he said.

He went further, venting frustration over the trip itself:
“Do you think this is fun for us? Do you think this is economically beneficial for Morgan and I to be here putting up with this insanity?”

Backlash from Journalists

Barrack’s words quickly sparked outrage among Lebanese journalists, many of whom called the remarks insulting and racist.

Lebanese-British journalist Hala Jaber wrote on X:
“Tom Barrack struts into Beirut like a 19th-century colonial commissioner, calls Lebanese journalists ‘animalistic,’ lectures us on ‘civilization,’ & blames it all on our ‘region.’ That’s not just arrogance, it’s racism. You don’t run this country, & you don’t get to insult its people.”

Another reporter, Ali Hashem, called the comments “humiliating” and an example of U.S. arrogance in Lebanon.

State Department Response and Local Fallout

The U.S. State Department defended Barrack, saying the situation had been “mischaracterized,” and praised him as a key representative advancing important diplomatic work in the region.

But the Lebanese presidency issued its own statement, expressing “regret” over the envoy’s remarks, without naming him directly.

Barrack, who is of Lebanese descent and also serves as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, was scheduled to continue his trip with Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congressman Joe Wilson, and Ortagus. However, amid rising protests, he canceled planned visits to the southern town of Khiam and the coastal city of Tyre.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), protesters in Khiam and Tyre denounced U.S. policies and Barrack’s visit. Demonstrators carried signs declaring “Israel is absolute evil” and “America is the Great Satan.”

U.S. Pressure on Lebanon

The United States has conditioned support for Lebanon on the government’s willingness to rein in Hezbollah. The group has been heavily targeted by Israeli military operations since October 2023, when it launched attacks on Israeli-held territory in support of Hamas.