Republican says 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' influencing Iran strike coverage as new details emerge from classified briefing
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense from Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed lawmakers about Trump's strike on Iran's nuclear sites.
Senators had demanded additional information due to conflicting reports over whether Trump totally 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program after a top-secret intelligence document leaked to CNN said it just set it back a few months.
The preliminary report also stated that Iran had moved much of its enriched uranium out of the sites before 30,000-pound 'bunker busters' were deployed by U.S. B-2 bombers.
But the White House and Trump are denying any suggestion that the strikes were not successful saying the leaked report selectively left out crucial information and was it is still too early for a full analysis.
Trump even blamed Democrats for the leak, being investigated by the FBI, suggesting they should be prosecuted.
'The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!,' he wrote on Truth Social.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee blamed 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' for the negative press coverage on the strikes.
'Some Democrats, some in the media seem to have such a case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, that they're rooting for the survival of Iran's nuclear program versus celebrating success of our pilots and their crews, but I think the answers they got in there should be totally satisfactory, Cotton told reporters.
Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said that he was 'happy it's done and over with.'
'I think that Iranian nuclear development is set back years,' he noted.
Asked if Iran was still capable of producing a nuclear weapon, Marshall added '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.'
When asked if his Democrat colleagues seemed satisfied with the briefing, Marshall said, 'they seem to be. There seem to be as much pushback today as there was when Soleimani was taken out, so I think they're pretty satisfied.'
Yet, some Democrats did not seem to be as satisfied with the briefing as Marshall assumed they were.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told a gaggle of reporters that 'we set this program back for months,' further stating 'and that is not obliteration.'
Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine told the Daily Mail that he still planned to move forward with his Presidential War Powers Resolution.
Over the weekend, Trump directed the U.S. military to deploy a dozen 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs that 'obliterated' Iran's three largest nuclear facilities.
'The strikes were a spectacular military success,' Trump said in a late-night address to the nation from the White House on Saturday.
The U.S. military joined forces with Israel to launch military strikes against Iran Saturday using B-2 'bunker bomber' planes.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leaves following a closed briefing on the situation in Iran for members of the U.S. Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2025
Just before 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday night, Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social confirming the attacks.
'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of Bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. '
'All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. Now Is The Time For Peace! Thank you for your attention to this matter.'
Trump made the decision to attack Iran's sites 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.'
A number of Democrats, particularly those in positions where they deal with issues of National Intelligence were not notified of the attacks before they came.
Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) the top ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence committees, respectively, did not know about the attacks until after they took place, sources told CNN.
Himes, part of the intelligence-heavy Gang of Eight, voiced outrage about being kept in the dark.
'According to the Constitution… my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall,' he said.
CNN also reported that other Democrat members of the Gang of Eight did not get a heads up on the operation.
Warner indicated he was 'frustrated' by the delay in being briefed.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations committee complained that the president bucked a bipartisan tradition of 'regularly briefing Congress on major national security events.'
Meanwhile, other Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), are contended over the weekend that the Iran strikes were ill-advised because the country 'posed no imminent threat' to the U.S.
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