Lindsey Graham Rebukes Trump Over Israel Criticism After Beirut Strike

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday night after Trump condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s strike in the Dahieh area of Beirut. Graham argued that since the last ceasefire, Hezbollah has not stopped attacking Israel and that the threat in northern Israel remains active.

Graham asked, “What would America do in a similar situation?” He said Hezbollah is funded and run by Iran and has “a lot of American blood on its hands.” In his view, whatever deal the U.S. may sign with Iran, Hezbollah’s goals of destroying Israel and turning Lebanon into part of the caliphate have not fundamentally changed. Graham ended by praying for peace and protection for the United States and Israel, and warning against relying too heavily on diplomatic agreements while ignoring threats on the ground.

Earlier, Trump expressed anger over the strike carried out in Beirut that morning and called for de-escalation. In a post on Truth Social, he said the attack “should not have happened,” especially on a day when, in his words, the sides were close to a peace deal with Iran. Trump said Israel has the right to defend itself, but described the response as “small and meaningless.”

He added that “no one was hurt, injured or killed,” so the incident should not disrupt the political process. Trump also wrote that the U.S. is “very close” to an agreement that would bring peace to the region, including Lebanon, and that all sides should calm the situation. He said there should be no more Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and no more attacks by Hezbollah or other groups against Israel, ending with the warning, “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace, let’s not ruin it.”