Lebanon Erupts After US Envoy's Shocking Press Insult

Lebanon is in uproar after U.S. envoy Tom Barak stunned reporters in Beirut by lashing out at local journalists, telling them to “stop acting like animals” during a heated press conference. The remark triggered an immediate political and media storm, with Hezbollah supporters seizing on the insult to portray Washington as arrogant and colonialist — and ultimately forcing the cancellation of Barak’s planned tour of southern Lebanon.

During the press conference, Barak snapped at reporters: "The moment this turns chaotic, like animals, we walk out. If you want to know what’s happening, act civilized, be polite, be patient."

The backlash was immediate. Pro-Hezbollah outlets branded him “a braying donkey,” “a colonial alien,” and even ran front-page headlines dubbing him “The Ugly American,” echoing the infamous Cold War epithet. Lebanese commentators accused Barak of humiliating the local press corps from inside the presidential palace, and some urged a boycott of all coverage of his visit.

The controversy escalated to the point where the Lebanese presidency issued a rare statement of regret, distancing itself from the envoy’s words. Meanwhile, planned stops in Tyre and Khiam were abruptly canceled amid mass Hezbollah-organized protests featuring yellow flags, anti-American banners, and graffiti denouncing “the Great Satan.”

The episode comes as Washington has been pushing a controversial “Lebanon without Resistance” blueprint, which Lebanese media claim includes proposals to restrict Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut with checkpoints and controls reminiscent of Palestinian refugee camps. The uproar over Barak’s comments now risks derailing U.S. diplomatic leverage at a moment of mounting tension between Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon’s fragile government.