June 25, 2025

Trump cuts off Congress from intelligence after Iran strike leaks

Trump limits intelligence sharing after Iran strike leaks expose lies.

🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🌍Foreign Policy

A Defense Intelligence Agency assessment leaked on Jun. 25, 2025 concluded U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by 3–6 months, contradicting public claims of complete destruction.

President Trump ordered limits on classified intelligence sharing with Congress immediately after the leak of this DIA assessment.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard canceled a scheduled briefing with the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Briefings originally set for Tuesday were postponed to Thursday (Senate) and Friday (House) to accommodate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities occurred Saturday between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. EDT; Trump sent a short notification letter to congressional leaders on the following Monday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were notified of the military action in advance, while other members faced delayed or limited briefings.

Speaker Johnson declared the 1973 War Powers Resolution "unconstitutional," citing Article 2 commander-in-chief powers.

The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action and provide classified briefings on operations.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded the administration "immediately undo" its decision to limit classified information sharing.

Internal assessments conflict: the DIA reported limited damage, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe asserted the strikes caused "severe, long-term damage."

It is not known for certain whether the leaks originated from a member of Congress.

Representative Thomas Massie stated "There was no imminent threat to the United States" requiring unilateral action and has introduced a War Powers resolution.

President Trump threatened to support Massie’s primary challenger in the 2026 midterms for opposing the Iran strikes.

🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🌍Foreign Policy

Test Your Knowledge

How did Trump notify Congress about the Iran strikes, and when?

Which top officials were originally scheduled to brief senators on Iran but had briefings postponed?

What did Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demand regarding the intelligence restrictions?

What did Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer say about lawmakers' information needs?

Both House Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Thune were notified of the Iran military action ahead of time.

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People, bills, and sources

Donald J. Trump (President, 2025

present) – Ordered intelligence-sharing restrictions and notified Congress of the strikes.

JD Vance (Vice President, 2025

present)

Mike Johnson (Speaker of the House)

Called the War Powers Resolution unconstitutional and weighed further limiting lawmakers’ access to sensitive intelligence.

John Thune (Senate Majority Leader)

Received advance notification of the Iran strikes.

Chuck Schumer (Senate Minority Leader)

Urged the White House to rescind its decision to restrict classified briefings.

Dick Durbin (Senate Deputy Whip)

Commented that the restrictions "must be bad news."

Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence)

Withdrew from a planned Senate Intelligence Committee briefing.

Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary)

Briefing schedules affected; publicly chastised reporters at a Pentagon briefing.

Marco Rubio (Secretary of State)

Schedule conflicts contributed to postponed congressional briefings.

John Ratcliffe (CIA Director)

Asserted the strikes inflicted "severe, long-term damage."

Thomas Massie (Representative, KY)

Questioned the necessity of the strikes and filed a War Powers resolution.

What you can do

Contact your senators and representatives to request timely compliance with the War Powers Resolution and full classified briefings on military actions.

Track related measures on congress.gov by searching for the War Powers Resolution or relevant bill numbers to follow legislative developments.

Consult primary documents and official statements at whitehouse.gov, dni.gov, and defense.gov for the most up-to-date information on national security actions.

Sign up for committee alerts from the House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees via their official websites to receive notices of oversight hearings.

Use GovInfo.gov to access the text of the War Powers Resolution, presidential notifications, and relevant committee reports for detailed legal context.