Trump administration briefed top Republicans before Iran strikes, but not Democrats [View all]
Source: CNN Politics
Published 11:50 PM EDT, Sat June 21, 2025
CNN — President Donald Trump and his team were in contact with top congressional Republicans before his strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, but top Democrats were not told of his plans until after the bombs had dropped, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.
The top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, were both notified of the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities ahead of time, according to multiple GOP sources.
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries received notifications shortly before the public announcement — and after the attack itself, people familiar with the notifications said. Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees, were similarly not told until after the strikes had occurred, sources said.
Reaction to the strikes has so far broken along predictable partisan lines. Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly lined up behind the president after the surprise strikes as most Democrats swiftly condemned his decision to launch them without congressional approval and demanded classified briefings. Johnson and Thune both made clear within minutes that they would stand by Trump, followed by dozens of GOP lawmakers who posted their support.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/politics/republicans-democrats-iran-strikes-briefings
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