The White House on Sunday demanded that CNN retract a report claiming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) were left out of pre-strike briefings ahead of President Donald Trump’s surprise military operation against Iran.
Trump ordered the launch of “Operation: Midnight Hammer” late Saturday, striking three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities with a coordinated campaign involving B-2 stealth bombers and over 125 aircraft. The operation was announced to the public only after its execution, drawing swift criticism and concern from some Democratic leaders.
CNN reported that while Republican leaders — House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune — were briefed in advance, Schumer and Jeffries were notified only shortly before the public announcement and after the operation had already taken place.
This is Fake News.
The White House made bipartisan courtesy calls to Congressional Leadership and spoke to @SenSchumer before the strike. @RepJeffries could not be reached until after, but he was briefed.
@CNN please retract. https://t.co/4VCgjkznKH
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 22, 2025
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly pushed back against CNN’s report, calling it inaccurate and demanding a retraction. “This is Fake News,” Leavitt wrote in a post on X. “The White House made bipartisan courtesy calls to Congressional Leadership and spoke to @SenSchumer before the strike. @RepJeffries could not be reached until after, but he was briefed. @CNN please retract.”
As of Sunday evening, CNN had not issued a correction or responded publicly to Leavitt’s request. Fox News Digital confirmed it had reached out to both Schumer and Jeffries’ offices for comment, but no immediate clarification was provided.
Notably, neither Schumer nor Jeffries claimed in their own public statements that they were left completely uninformed. Instead, both criticized President Trump for proceeding without prior congressional authorization. Schumer’s statement over the weekend reiterated a call for Congress to reassert its constitutional role in authorizing military force.
“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,” Schumer said, urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune to enforce the War Powers Resolution.
The CNN report also claimed that senior intelligence committee members, including Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), were not briefed until after the strikes had occurred. These details have not yet been publicly addressed by the White House or disputed by the members in question.
