An American diplomat who is a close friend of Donald Trump has apologized after labelling reporters “animalistic” during a “firestorm” news conference in Lebanon that left local media outraged.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and envoy to Syria and a former senior adviser to Trump, was on a temporary assignment in Beirut on Tuesday for talks with the Lebanese president on the disarmament of the Hezbollah militant group.

Billionaire Barrack, 78, brought three senior U.S. officials to answer questions at a media conference at the presidential palace, which he claimed created a “frenzy” among local journalists.

The ambassador arrived at the conference with the U.S officials after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. However, during the press conference, journalists we

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