• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Pompeo Sees Breakthrough in Taliban Talks, Wants ‘Significant’ Reduction in Violence

Esper Breaks With Trump’s Assessment That Beirut Explosion Was an Attack

August 5, 2020
CRAIG RUCKER: UN’s ‘Plastics Treaty’ Sports A Junk Science Wrapper

CRAIG RUCKER: UN’s ‘Plastics Treaty’ Sports A Junk Science Wrapper

July 11, 2025
‘Chicken Little B*tch’: Democrat Rep Resorts To Vulgarities While Criticizing  Republican Colleague

‘Chicken Little B*tch’: Democrat Rep Resorts To Vulgarities While Criticizing Republican Colleague

July 10, 2025
Tim Walz’s State Under The Microscope For Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

Tim Walz’s State Under The Microscope For Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

July 10, 2025
Hegseth Announces Pentagon Plan For ‘Drone Dominance’

Hegseth Announces Pentagon Plan For ‘Drone Dominance’

July 10, 2025
Trump Admin To Kill Another Massive Green Boondoggle, Hawley Says

Trump Admin To Kill Another Massive Green Boondoggle, Hawley Says

July 10, 2025
Pro-Mamdani PAC Took Donation From Islamist Cleric Who Vouched For Terror Plot Mastermind

Pro-Mamdani PAC Took Donation From Islamist Cleric Who Vouched For Terror Plot Mastermind

July 10, 2025
CASEY RYAN: Woke Universities Cave To Trump Administration

CASEY RYAN: Woke Universities Cave To Trump Administration

July 10, 2025
Reporter Tells Tucker Carlson Clues Of Chinese Takeover Of America Hiding In Plain Sight

Reporter Tells Tucker Carlson Clues Of Chinese Takeover Of America Hiding In Plain Sight

July 10, 2025
Gavin Newsom Points Out That Far-Left Activism Is Synonymous With Breaking The Law

Gavin Newsom Points Out That Far-Left Activism Is Synonymous With Breaking The Law

July 10, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Marsha Blackburn Pushes Back On Dems’ ‘Fearmongering’ About Trump’s ‘Beautiful’ Law

EXCLUSIVE: Marsha Blackburn Pushes Back On Dems’ ‘Fearmongering’ About Trump’s ‘Beautiful’ Law

July 10, 2025
Tom Homan Accuses Biden Admin Of ‘Lying’ About Properly Vetting After MS-13 Kingpin’s Capture

Tom Homan Accuses Biden Admin Of ‘Lying’ About Properly Vetting After MS-13 Kingpin’s Capture

July 10, 2025
Previously Detained Columbia Graduate Now Seeks Big Payday From Trump Admin

Previously Detained Columbia Graduate Now Seeks Big Payday From Trump Admin

July 10, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home IJR

Esper Breaks With Trump’s Assessment That Beirut Explosion Was an Attack

by Bradley Cortright
August 5, 2020 at 5:47 pm
in IJR
242 10
3
Pompeo Sees Breakthrough in Taliban Talks, Wants ‘Significant’ Reduction in Violence

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper speaks at a news conference following a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 13, 2020. Francois Lenoir/Reuters

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that “most believe” a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon was “an accident” — an apparent break with President Donald Trump, who suggested it was an attack.

During a discussion at the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday, Esper said the U.S. government was “still getting information on what happened” in the capital of Lebanon.

“We’re reaching out to the Lebanese government, have reached out. We’re positioning ourselves to provide them whatever assistance we can, humanitarian aid, medical supplies, you name it, to assist the people of Lebanon,” he added.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Trump was referred to the explosion as a “terrible attack.”

“It would seem like it based on the explosion,” Trump said when a reporter asked him to clarify if he was labeling the incident an attack — instead of an accident.

He explained why he came to that assessment, “I’ve met with some of our great generals, and they just seem to feel that it was not a — some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a — seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.”

Watch Trump’s comments below:

President Trump on whether #LebanonExplosion was an attack and not an accident: "I met with some of our great generals and they just seemed to feel that it was. This was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event…they seem to think it was an attack." pic.twitter.com/fQDQ8oHc4A

— CSPAN (@cspan) August 4, 2020

The explosion killed at least 135 people and injured thousands, and the cause is still under investigation.

However, security experts raised doubts about Trump’s suggestion that the explosion was an attack.

Additionally, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said there were roughly 2,750 tons of highly explosive material stored in the warehouse that exploded on Tuesday.

Tags: Donald TrumpMark EsperMiddle East
Share196Tweet123
Bradley Cortright

Bradley Cortright

IJR, Senior Writer He's written for Independent Journal Review since 2019.

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th