White House calls CNN 'fake news' for report claiming Democratic leadership wasn't briefed on Iran strike
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By Lindsay Kornick
Published June 22, 2025
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded CNN retract a story on Sunday that claimed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were not briefed on President Donald Trump's strike on Iran.
Trump launched "Operation: Midnight Hammer" on Saturday and struck three of Iran's key nuclear facilities in a surprise attack. The White House announced the success of the attack later that night.
CNN reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, both Republicans, were briefed on the strikes ahead of time, with Schumer and Jeffries, both Democrats, receiving notifications only before the public announcement and well after the attack.
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Leavitt called the report "fake news" on X.
"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," Leavitt wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer and Jeffries' offices for comment.
The CNN report added that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Ct., who are members of the intelligence committees in the Senate and House respectively, were not told until after the strikes.
CNN didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Both Schumer and Jeffries released statements over the weekend condemning Trump for the strikes on Iran.
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Although both criticized Trump for not seeking congressional authorization for the attack, neither claimed that they were not briefed or notified before the actual strike.
In his statement, Schumer called on Thune to enforce the War Powers Act.
"No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy," Schumer said.
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