A seasoned American diplomat and a close associate of Donald Trump has apologized following a major uproar in Lebanon caused by his comment labeling journalists as ‘animalistic,’ which sparked significant backlash.

Tom Barrack, who serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and a special envoy to Syria, was present in Beirut on a diplomatic mission on Tuesday. While there, he engaged in talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace, focusing on initiatives 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 a press briefing, it was announced to the media that Barrack, who was present, would not be making any statements there but would instead speak at a different event.

This announcement caused frustration among international journalists, prompting Barrack to approach the podium and deliver a remark that quickly landed him in deep trouble.

‘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 unfortunate words spoken by one of the guests on stage today,’ he continued, ‘We want to express our utmost respect for all journalists and media personnel.’

In a somewhat tense interaction, the high-ranking diplomat urged reporters to remain composed: ‘Do you want to know what’s happening? Please be civilized, be kind, be open-minded — because this is the underlying issue in the region. I implore you, do you think this is enjoyable for us? Do you consider it financially advantageous for us to deal with this chaos?’

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.