WASHINGTON — Senators left with mixed reviews after a classified briefing with Trump administration officials left lawmakers with some unanswered questions about the U.S. strike against Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine briefed senators in an hourlong meeting on Thursday as lawmakers pressed the Trump administration on how much destruction was done to the nuclear sites that were targeted on Saturday.
Senators gave contradictory assessments of the briefing, with lawmakers breaking along party lines on whether they were satisfied.
“I still think there are some major questions,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters after the briefing. “I mean, I’m deeply worried about the politicization of intelligence right now. It seems to me that the leaked (Defense Intelligence Agency) report is right — that we set this program back a handful of months, and that is not obliteration.”
Murphy’s remarks refer to a leaked report this week that concluded the military strikes did not destroy the “core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months,” according to CNN, which first reported on the findings.
But the Trump administration pushed back on the early assessment, noting the report was preliminary and inconclusive, and was marked as “low confidence.” The leaked report angered President Donald Trump, prompting the president to consider no longer sharing classified information with lawmakers due to concerns about leaks, Axios reported.
That raised concerns among some Democrats that they may not get a full assessment from administration officials, telling reporters they think there is more information to be shared about the strikes.
“I think there is so much more that we need to know, but more importantly, the American people deserve and need to know,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said after the briefing. “Iran remains a threat. A nuclear-armed Iran is an unacceptable threat to the world, including the United States, and we have a lot more to learn before we have a final battle damage assessment that should give us real comfort.”
Republicans praise Trump for decision to strike Iran
On the other hand, Republicans praised the Trump administration for the briefing and the strike, which they said was proven to be successful based on the information shared on Thursday.
“It’s so comforting to have a competent national security team in place. We heard an excellent briefing down there,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told reporters. “I for one am comforted by having a president who was decisive, took action to protect America, to protect our ally Israel, and, at least for a while, take away the threat of a nuclear Iran. So again, it’s nice to have a competent team in place.”
Other Republicans, while declining to share specific details of what was shared, affirmed that the goals of the mission were accomplished and successfully delayed any nuclear capabilities in Iran.
“I think it would take years for them to be able to do that, and I don’t think they have any interest in doing it right now,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said following the meeting. “They don’t have the capabilities. They can’t control their airspace, so I think if they did anything, they’re at such high risk for attack.”
Other Republicans pushed back against their colleagues, particularly Murphy’s comments, that questioned Trump’s decision to strike — arguing it was crucial to avoid larger conflict.
“(If) you got a chance to set back the nuclear ambitions of a religious Nazi by years, and you don’t take it, that’s how … World War III starts,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. “Learn from World War II: You appease religious Nazis, you’re going to get more religious Nazi behavior.”
Democrats push for more information
The briefing comes as lawmakers await a final report from the U.S. intelligence community on the impact of the strike, with Democrats pushing for those results as quickly as possible.
“There is no final assessment yet. That’s the point. They haven’t done it,” Blumenthal said. “There is a lot more that has to be disclosed, and the intelligence community has to come clean with the American people.”
Democrats also questioned why Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was not present for the briefing — especially after Trump rejected her assessments of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and testified the country was not building nuclear weapons.
“There’s a real question as to why the director of national intelligence is not allowed to be in these briefings. That’s a question that we should get answered,” Murphy said. “There’s no doubt there was damage done to the program, but the allegations that we have obliterated their program just don’t seem to stand up to reason.”
Other Democrats were slower to respond to the information shared behind closed doors on Thursday, with many calling the information “thorough” but lamenting it was not shared earlier.
“I’m very glad we had the briefing today,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “It should have been earlier. But I’m glad they came and I considered it pretty thorough.”
The Senate was initially scheduled to receive the briefing on Tuesday, but the meeting was canceled just hours before due to scheduling conflicts with the NATO summit.
“I think the briefing was vital and important,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told reporters. “Again, I’m very upset that it did not happen earlier.”
