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.
“Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act,” Johnson wrote on X, defending Trump’s decision to move unilaterally. “The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties.”
As of Saturday night, only three GOP lawmakers were publicly skeptical of Trump’s move — including one, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who was already expected to force a full vote in the House next week on whether to restrict Trump’s war powers.
The president’s airstrikes on Saturday night will now supercharge an already-tense debate in Congress over the limits of his war powers, with both the House and Senate expected to take votes in the coming days.
Warner railed on the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran, “without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what’s at stake.”
Fareed Zakaria reacts to US striking nuclear sites in Iran
“The American people deserve more than vague rhetoric and unilateral decisions that could set off a wider war. The president must come before Congress immediately to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict,” Warner said.
His fellow Virginia Democrat, Sen. Tim Kaine, confirmed that he still plans to force a full Senate vote asserting Congress’ role, after initially introducing the resolution last week requiring Trump to seek congressional approval before any strikes on Iran.
“I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine said in a statement, adding that the American public remains opposed to US involvement in the conflict.
Massie, the Kentucky Republican who is leading the push in the House, said simply in response to Trump’s airstrikes announcement: “This is not Constitutional.”
Democrats are also likely to press the White House on its decision not to inform their top officials until after the strike was carried out.
Democrats on the “Gang of Eight,” which includes the congressional leaders from each party and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, typically would be briefed before a significant US military engagement. A White House official said the administration made calls to some members of Congress before the strikes as a “courtesy heads-up” but did not address the partisan breakdown of who was notified.
In the aftermath of the strike, many Democrats released statements criticizing Trump for going ahead with the strikes without congressional approval, with Illinois Rep. Sean Casten calling it an “impeachable offense.”
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont declared the action “grossly unconstitutional,” while Jeffries warned that US troops in the region could face retaliation from Iran as he demanded immediate classified briefings for lawmakers.
President Trump addresses the nation after US strikes nuclear sites in Iran
“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” the New York Democrat said. “President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”
As of Saturday night, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was the sole congressional Democrat to praise the strikes, posting on X, “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.”
While most House and Senate Republicans were quick to support the strikes as the “right decision” or the “correct move,” a small number of House conservatives warned that the strikes required congressional approval.
Rep. Warren Davidson, an ex-Army ranger who has previously accused Congress of having “seemingly surrendered its power over war” post-9/11, raised questions about Trump’s authorities.
“While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional. I look forward to his remarks tonight,” the Ohio Republican wrote on X.
Before Trump announced the strikes, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also warned against striking Iran in a post on X. “Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war. There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first. Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer,” the Georgia Republican wrote.
After the strikes, she added, “Let us join together and pray for the safety of our U.S. troops and Americans in the Middle East. Let us pray that we are not attacked by terrorists on our homeland after our border was open for the past 4 years and over 2 Million gotaways came in.”
CNN’s Manu Raju, Lauren Fox, Haley Britzky and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
