© 2026 ABC News

There's no allegation that President Donald Trump stands to benefit from the hold politically, but his administration has refused to explain it.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to answer questions on this during a press briefing Tuesday, but the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East told reporters that the hold is \"still working its way through the bureaucratic process.\"

\"There's a review, and it's ongoing,\" said David Schenker, the assistant secretary for near eastern affairs, adding he expected a resolution \"very, very shortly,\" but couldn’t say when.

Schenker declined to discuss any reasons for the review, calling the deliberations \"classified\" and \"internal.\"

But David Hale, the under secretary for political affairs and a former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, testified publicly before the House Intelligence Committee last week that even he has not heard any explanation from the White House or OMB on why the aid is being withheld.

In his closed door deposition on Nov. 6, Hale said there was \"a dispute over the efficacy of the assistance,\" but his full response is redacted.

\"PHOTO:
AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Lebanese demonstrators take part in a civilian Independence Day parade in Beirut's Martyr Square on Nov. 22, 2019.
>

There is speculation that it may be related to Hezbollah's powerful role in Lebanese government -- part of what Schenker described as a “gloves off” approach to Lebanon, a complicated U.S. partner in the region. But the Trump administration has made no secret of its effort to isolate and sanction Hezbollah because of its ties to Iran, even sanctioning Lebanese government ministers that are part of its political wing.

More to the point, the terror group has the least influence in the LAF, and any pullback of U.S. assistance could undermine them.

\"Cutting off LAF funding is the dumbest thing we could do if we are trying to weaken Hezbollah,\" Murphy tweeted, adding that Hezbollah is more likely to take over due to the withholding of aid.

If Trump cuts off support for the LAF, they can’t sustain operations, and either (1) Hezbollah will take over; or (2) Russia will replace us as the backer of the LAF. Both are awful.

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 26, 2019

Schenker told reporters that no equipment or weapons have been delayed in delivery to the LAF, and there was \"some time\" before the hold would affect deliveries.

The senior State Department official implied that the department supports the assistance and is waiting to turn it back on, saying last Thursday they are \"ready to release the [aid] for LAF, so once we get the green light, we go on that.\"

During Hale's testimony, House Republicans tried to use the hold on Lebanese aid to say the hold on Ukraine aid was not unusual, but Hale told Texas GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe, \"It is not the normal way that we function.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-hold-lebanon-military-aid-sparks-questions/story?id=67346239","legacySlug":"/news/story/white-house-hold-lebanon-military-aid-sparks-questions-67346239","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"19:43","publishDate":"11-27-2019","updatedTime":"21:01","updatedDate":"11-27-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Elizabeth Richard, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, right, and official army members attend a ceremony of armored military vehicles are unloaded from ships at Beirut's port in Lebanon on Aug. 14, 2017.","credit":"Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/us-lebanon-aid-gty-aa-191127_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"11/27/2019 19:43:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":67346239,"headline":"WH hold on Lebanon military aid sparks questions","mediaAssetTitle":"US AID/LEBANON","description":"Congress approved the aid, but the White House won't say what caused the delay.","duration":"6:27","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/12/201223_abcnl_headlines_5pm_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"WH hold on Lebanon military aid sparks questions","description":"Congress approved the aid, but the White House won't say what caused the delay.","duration":"6:27","uploadDate":"11-27-2019","publication":"11-27-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/12/201223_abcnl_headlines_5pm_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/12/201223_abcnl_headlines_5pm_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/white-house-hold-lebanon-military-aid-sparks-questions-67346239"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"WH hold on Lebanon military aid sparks questions","pubTime":"14:43","pubDate":"11-27-2019","modTime":"16:01","modDate":"11-27-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":67346239,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"WH hold on Lebanon military aid sparks questions","mediaAssetTitle":"US AID/LEBANON","videoId":67346239,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/white-house-hold-lebanon-military-aid-sparks-questions-67346239"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/67346239","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/67346239","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};