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Trump bashed for claiming Lebanon blast was caused by a bomb, supporters say if POTUS says it 'we believe it'

Backing Trump's claim, one supporter tweeted, 'Who the **** thinks this was not an attack? Was this some kind of accident? U guys 4 real?'

A massive explosion that occurred at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, August 4, has killed 78 people and left 4,000 wounded, according to the latest reports. It is said to have caused widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital. Authorities in Lebanon are yet to confirm what triggered the blast. Officials are blaming the highly explosive ammonium nitrate that was stored in the warehouse for over six years, according to BBC. 

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said that storing such a large amount of explosive unsafely was “unacceptable,” while the country's Supreme Defence Council has stated anybody responsible for the blast would face “maximum punishment.” Reportedly, Lebanon's president has declared a three-day mourning period and announced that the government would release $66 million in emergency funds. 

Leaders from various nations have come forward to comment on Lebanon’s latest tragedy and extend their support. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.”

However, when US President Trump was asked during a press conference at the White House if he's confident that the blast is “an attack” and not an accident, he responds, “Well, it seems like it. After the explosion, I met with some of our great generals and they just feel that this wasn't some kind of a manufacturing explosion. This seems to be according to them, they know better than I do, they seem to think this was an attack, it was a bomb of some kind.”

Trump's previous statement read, “We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack.” Trump's comment on the Lebanon blast has given rise to speculations on the Internet, with many wondering if he has “more info” about the incident, which he claims to be an “attack.” Reporter Jenan Moussa tweeted, “Without providing any evidence, President Trump claims the explosion in #Beirut is a result of an attack. This contradicts the official statement of the Lebanese prime minister. " One Twitter user noted, "He might have some reasonable intelligence on the matter you might think?"

One user speculated, "He knew something that is classified, obviously."

And some MAGA supporters have noted that one should "believe" what POTUS has to say about the blast, perceiving it as an attack. 

Supporting Trump, one Internet user tweeted, "Who the **** thinks this was not an attack? Was this some kind of accident? U guys 4 real?"

Meanwhile, local media in Lebanon has reported that more people are trapped beneath the rubbles and the officials are expecting a rise in death toll as emergency workers continue to rescue people and clear the remains of the dead. It has also been reported that the blast was heard 150 miles away on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.

Explaining the condition of the city, journalist Sunniva Rose said, “There was still smoke going up into the sky late into the evening. The whole city was black. It was very hard to walk around, people were covered in blood. I saw an 86-year-old woman being treated by a doctor who had just run out of his home with a first aid kit. Cars were entirely smashed by rocks. These old-style houses with big cuts of rock had just fallen down on the street,” according to BBC. 

MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) does not support and cannot independently verify these claims being made on the Internet.