Donald Trump supporters expressed outrage on Saturday after Vice President Kamala Harris made a statement supporting the citizens of Lebanon amid ongoing conflict in the region. The controversy emerged as Israel launched missile attacks targeting Hezbollah, a militant group, in and around Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.
These actions were in response to a series of missiles fired by Hezbollah on October 8, following a deadly attack by Hamas in Israel. While visiting North Carolina to assess storm damage, Harris expressed her concern and provided an update on U.S. humanitarian aid for Lebanon.
“The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there,” she wrote. “To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict.
This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million.” The announcement quickly drew criticism from Trump supporters. Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign, responded by saying, “Tone Deafness runs in Washington.”
Eric Daugherty, Assistant News Director at the conservative outlet Florida’s Voice, commented, “To be clear—Kamala Harris’ campaign-suicidal post this evening focusing on LEBANON while major disaster rescues and recovery are underway is an admission she is losing Michigan right now.”
Trump-aligned podcaster Tim Pool also expressed disbelief, asking, “How the f— is this real??” and adding, “Kamala announcing she gave our money to Lebanon for aid during a disaster.”
Florida Senator Rick Scott, a close Trump ally, joined the criticism, stating, “If we renamed Florida and North Carolina to Lebanon and Ukraine, maybe Kamala Harris would send disaster relief faster.” He further remarked, “She’s made it clear that being Americans puts us last in line.”
However, Harris did spend Saturday in North Carolina, where she assessed the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. According to USA Today, she “met with local officials to receive an update on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, spoke with several families impacted by the catastrophic storm, and helped at a donation center.”
Despite her actions on the ground, her announcement of aid for Lebanon continued to spark backlash from critics who argue her focus should be on domestic issues.