President Trump spoke about the massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon Tuesday saying that while the investigation is still ongoing, it appears to have been a deliberate attack.
When asked by a reporter what he believes happened, Trump said that the Lebanese authorities and others believe that it could have very well been an attack. The president said U.S. military generals have told him that they think the massive explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, killing more than 70 people, was likely a bomb.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he met with some generals and they do not think it was a manufacturing-type explosion. Trump says the generals seem to think it was an attack — “a bomb of some kind.” The explosion flattened much of a port and damaged buildings across the capital, sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 3,000 others were injured, with bodies buried in the rubble.
Earlier the Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab spoke on television saying that Tuesday's explosion "will not pass without accountability" and "those responsible will pay for what happened."
During the Tuesday afternoon White House briefing President Trump said, "the United States stands ready to assist Lebanon, a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon, and we will be there to help, it looks like a terrible attack."
Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo released a statement Tuesday that said, "I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the massive explosion at the port of Beirut today. We are closely monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this tragedy.
Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis. We understand that the Government of Lebanon continues to investigate its cause and look forward to the outcome of those efforts."