White House Press Secretary Defends Iran Strike Briefings, Criticizes Rep. Massie and CNN Coverage

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff   

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt forcefully defended the Trump administration's communication with Congress ahead of its military operation against Iranian nuclear facilities, while also taking aim at Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and CNN for what she described as misleading claims about a lack of proper briefings.

Speaking Monday on Fox & Friends, Leavitt pushed back on assertions that lawmakers were left in the dark before the launch of "Operation Midnight Hammer" over the weekend, an airstrike targeting key Iranian nuclear infrastructure.

“We did make bipartisan calls,” Leavitt said. “Thomas Massie… he should be a Democrat because he's more aligned with them than with the Republican Party. [Both parties] were given notice.”

Her comments come in response to Massie’s criticism aired on CBS News Sunday, where the Kentucky Republican argued that Congress should have been fully briefed and given the opportunity to debate the War Powers Resolution co-authored with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) before military action was taken.

A War of Words on War Powers

Massie, known for his non-interventionist stance, has been vocal in challenging the administration’s decision to bypass congressional debate. In a post on social media platform X, he directly challenged House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), asking: “Why didn’t you call us back from vacation to vote on military action if there was a serious threat to our country?”

Massie also responded with sarcasm to Trump's recent rebuke, writing: “Trump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie.”

Trump, in turn, lashed out at Massie, calling him “not MAGA” and promising to support a Republican primary challenger in Kentucky.

Leavitt also targeted CNN, criticizing a report which suggested that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) were not briefed in advance of the strike. She accused the outlet of spreading misinformation.

“The White House made calls to congressional leadership. They were bipartisan calls,” Leavitt said. “Hakeem Jeffries couldn't be reached. We tried him before the strike, and he didn’t pick up the phone, but he was briefed after, as was Chuck Schumer, who was briefed prior to the strike.”

CNN later amended its report with a correction regarding the timing of the briefings. The network has not commented further on the matter.

Though neither Schumer nor Jeffries have confirmed being left completely uninformed, both issued strong statements over the weekend condemning the administration’s decision to launch the strike without explicit congressional authorization.

Schumer stated: “No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy.”

Jeffries echoed the sentiment, saying Trump “failed to deliver” on his promise of peace in the Middle East and now bears “the heavy burden” of explaining the justification for the unilateral military action.

Meanwhile, Reps. Khanna and Massie continue to advocate for passage of their War Powers Resolution, which aims to restrict the president’s ability to engage in hostilities with Iran without formal congressional approval. The measure could receive a vote later this week amid growing bipartisan calls to reassert legislative oversight on matters of war and peace.

As tensions in the Middle East mount, the political fallout at home underscores a broader constitutional debate over the separation of powers and whether the executive branch has overstepped its authority.