Schumer to force Senate reading of Trump’s entire ‘big, beautiful bill’
The top Democrat in the Senate plans to inflict maximum pain on Senate Republicans in their march to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” before lawmakers even get a chance to debate the legislative behemoth. Indeed, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plans to force clerks on the Senate floor to read the entirety of the GOP’s 940-page megabill. His move to drain as much time as possible will come after Republicans vote on a key procedural test to open debate on the legislation. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES REPUBLICAN FAMILY FEUD AS SENATE REVEALS ITS FINAL TEXT “I will object to Republicans moving forward on their Big, Ugly Bill without reading it on the Senate floor,” Schumer said on X. “Republicans won’t tell America what’s in the bill “So Democrats are forcing it to be read start to finish on the floor,” he said. “We will be here all night if that’s what it takes to read it.” KEY GOP SENATOR DEFECTS ON CRUCIAL VOTE, IMPERILING TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IN NARROW MAJORITY Indeed, staffers were seen carting the bill onto the Senate floor in preparation for the all-night read-a-thon. Schumer’s move is expected to take up to 15 hours and is designed to allow Senate Democrats more time to parse through the myriad provisions within the massive legislative text. Ultimately, it will prove a smokescreen as Senate Republicans will continue to march toward a final vote. Once the bill reading is done, 20 hours of debate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans will begin, likely early Sunday morning. Democrats are expected to use their entire 10-hour chunk, while Republicans will go far under their allotted time. Then comes the “vote-a-rama” process, where lawmakers can offer an unlimited number of amendments to the bill. ANXIOUS REPUBLICANS TURN TO TRUMP AMID DIVISIONS OVER ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Democrats will again look to extract as much pain as possible during that process, while Republicans, particularly senators that have lingering issues with key Medicaid and land sale provisions, will continue to try and shape and mold the bill. The last time clerks were forced to read the entirety of a bill during the budget reconciliation process was in 2021, when Senate Democrats held the majority in the upper chamber. At the time, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., demanded that the entire, over-600-page American Rescue Act be read aloud. Schumer, who was the Senate Majority Leader attempting to ram then-President Joe Biden’s agenda through the upper chamber, objected to the reading.
Rubio condemns Iran’s ‘unacceptable’ threats against IAEA director
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said alleged calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi are “unacceptable and should be condemned.” Rubio’s warning came after Iranian parliament vice speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei banned Grossi and removed surveillance from its nuclear facilities, accusing Israel of acquiring “sensitive facility data,” according to a report from Mehr news. “We support the lAEA’s critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the lAEA for their dedication and professionalism,” Rubio wrote in an X post. “We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel.” RUBIO SLAMS ‘FALSE’ INTELLIGENCE LEAKS DOWNPLAYING SUCCESS OF TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES The lAEA this week commented on damage at Iranian nuclear facilities, following U.S. airstrikes on key nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. While speaking on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” Grossi said Isfahan and Natanz were damaged, with Natanz showing “very serious damage” in one of the centrifuge halls where enrichment was being performed. IAEA DIRECTOR SAYS IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM CAN’T BE LOCATED FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKES Though a ceasefire agreement was made between Israel and Iran, Grossi alleged 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium had been taken to an ancient site near Isfahan. “I have to be very precise, Martha,” Grossi said. “We are the IAEA, so we are not speculating here. We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material.” He claimed Iranian officials had told him they were taking protective measures, which could include moving the material. UN NUCLEAR CHIEF SAYS IRAN HAS MATERIAL TO BUILD BOMBS, BUT NO PLAN TO DO SO “My job is to try to see where is this material, because Iran has an obligation to report and account for all the material that they have, and this is going to continue to be my work,” Grossi said. The State Department Press Office told Fox News Digital “the Secretary’s tweet speaks for itself and we have nothing to add at this time.” President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal Tehran signed with the U.S., U.K., European Union, France, Germany and Russia in 2018, prompting Iranian threats to remove cameras and limit access to its facilities. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Key blue state Republican says Senate’s local tax write-off offer is a ‘good deal’
A key New York Republican said he’s pleased with a tax provision in the Senate’s version of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after weeks of tense back-and-forth over the matter. “I think it’s a very good deal. We were able to keep the House language intact,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital, adding that he was pleased “we were able to solve” differences on tax deductions for certain pass-through businesses, which are companies smaller than corporations whose taxes are “passed through” the business owner’s personal returns. “I think at the end of the day, it’s a [four-times] increase on [state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps]. And despite the Senate’s best efforts to whittle down the language, we were able to keep it.” Lawler is one of several blue state Republicans who threatened to sink the bill if it did not sufficiently raise SALT deduction caps. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES GO TO WAR WITH SENATE OVER TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ SALT deductions are aimed at providing relief for people living in high-cost-of-living areas, primarily in big cities and their suburbs. There was no limit on SALT deductions until Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which capped that federal tax benefit at $10,000 for both single filers and married couples. The House’s bill raised that cap to $40,000 for 10 years, with households making up to $500,000 eligible for the full deduction. Senate Republicans, who released their text of the bill just before midnight on Friday night, reduced the benefit window to five years instead of 10. After that, the maximum deduction would revert to $10,000 for the next five years. “Yes, the time was shortened, but at the end of the day, people are going to immediately be able to deduct them to $40,000, which is a massive win,” Lawler told Fox News Digital. “Democrats promised to fix this when they had complete control in ’21 and ’22 and failed to deliver. We’re delivering on it. So you know to me this is a big win for New York. It’s a big win for taxpayers all across the country.” Blue state Republicans, primarily those in New York and California, have pushed hard in favor of lifting that cap. They’ve painted it as an existential political issue in their districts, where Republican victories were critical to the GOP winning and keeping its House majority. They’ve also argued that their states sending more money back to the federal government effectively subsidizes lower-tax states that do not bring in as much revenue. But Republicans in more GOP-leaning states have dismissed SALT deductions as a reward for high-tax Democratic states to continue their own policies. “SALT deductions allow blue states to export their political mistakes (electing high-tax, crazy socialists), Americans shouldn’t subsidize,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X. Lawler would not say if his support for the deal meant he would vote for the final bill – noting there were other provisions he had to read through in the 940-page legislation. TOP TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR ‘MISLEADING’ CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM But he said he believed most of his Republican colleagues in the SALT Caucus would be supportive of the compromise. “I think there’s broad consensus among most of us about how important this is, and what a significant win it is,” Lawler said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only member of the SALT Caucus who sits on the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee, told Fox News Digital of the deal on Friday, “I can live with this but, quite frankly, the $30,000 over 10 years that I negotiated out of Ways & Means would’ve protected my constituents for a longer period of time.” “But alas, this is a group exercise and there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” she said. Not everyone is on board, however. Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., signaled to Fox News Digital that he is rejecting the deal. “While I support the president’s broader agenda, it would be hypocritical for me to back the same unfair $10k SALT cap I’ve spent years criticizing. A permanent $40k deduction cap with income thresholds of $225k for single filers and $450k for joint filers would earn my vote,” he said in a written statement. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., did not comment on the SALT deal itself but more broadly said her support for the bill is contingent on how decisions on SALT deduction caps, Medicaid measures, and small business taxes play out. A source familiar with her thinking told Fox News Digital she would vote against the bill back in the House if the Senate’s more severe Medicaid cuts remained in place. The Senate is aiming to begin considering the legislation on the floor late afternoon on Saturday, though the final vote could come in the early hours of Sunday, if not later. The bill could also change between now and then, with various Republican lawmakers still expressing their concern. Fox News Digital reached out to SALT Caucus co-chair Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J. for comment.
Key GOP senator defects on crucial vote, imperiling Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ in narrow majority
A vulnerable Senate Republican put his foot down against President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” over concerns of deep Medicaid cuts inside the megabill. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital that he would not support the measure through a procedural hurdle necessary to kick off a marathon of debate and amendment voting that would eventually culminate in the measure’s final passage. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES REPUBLICAN FAMILY FEUD AS SENATE REVEALS ITS FINAL TEXT Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026, said after exiting the Senate GOP’s closed-door lunch that he has a “great relationship” with his colleagues, but that he couldn’t support the colossal bill. “We just have a disagreement,” he said. “And, you know, my colleagues have done the analysis, and they’re comfortable with the impact on their states. I respect their choice. It’s not a good impact in my state, so I’m not going to vote on the motion to proceed.” ANXIOUS REPUBLICANS TURN TO TRUMP AMID DIVISIONS OVER ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ He also won’t support the bill during the final stretch. Tillis is part of a cohort of Senate Republicans who have expressed reservations over the Senate GOP’s changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate. Tillis’ resistance to the bill is a bad sign for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who can only afford to lose three votes. So far, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has vowed to vote against the procedural test, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is expected to follow suit. Trump was meeting with Johnson and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fl., another possible holdout, during the lunch. Lawmakers are expected to vote to advance the bill at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The mounting resistance could force Thune to go back to the drawing board. Further complicating matters is Collins, who is also up for reelection in 2026, who said that while she would support the bill through the first step, she was leaning against voting to pass the bill in the final stretch unless the legislation was “further changed.” SENATE GOP EYES MEDICAID SWEETENER TO SAVE TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ The latest version of the bill, which dropped near the stroke of midnight, included tweaks to the Senate’s offering that would push back the provider rate crackdown by one year, and also added another $25 billion for a rural hospital stabilization fund. While others in the group, like Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., are on board to at least see the legislation move through the first key procedural hurdle, Tillis has argued that his state would be harshly affected by the crackdown. Indeed, during a closed-door lunch earlier this week, the lawmaker reportedly warned that North Carolina could lose as much as $40 billion in Medicaid funding if the changes were codified. For now, Tillis is unlikely to budge, even after conversations with Trump. He is also planning to unveil further analysis on the impact of Medicaid cuts on his state that he said no one in the “administration or in this building” has been able to refute. “The president I have talked, and I just told him that, ‘Look, if this works for the country, that’s great. And if my other colleagues have done extensive research and concluded it’s different in their states, I respect that,’” he said. “We just have a disagreement based on the implementation in our respective states.”
SCOOP: Blue state Republican could oppose Trump tax bill over Medicaid changes
FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican representing part of Southern California will oppose President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” if it returns to her chamber without the House’s original language on Medicaid, a source familiar with her thinking told Fox News Digital. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., is one of several moderates who are uneasy on Saturday after the Senate released updated text of the massive bill advancing Trump’s agenda on tax, immigration, defense, energy, and the national debt. Two other sources told Fox News Digital that as many as 20 to 30 moderate Republicans are reaching out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., with serious concerns about the Senate’s bill. The source familiar with Kim’s thinking said, “As she’s said throughout this process, ‘I will continue to make clear that a budget resolution that does not protect vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable, provide tax relief for small businesses, and address the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions will not receive my vote.’” HOUSE CONSERVATIVES GO TO WAR WITH SENATE OVER TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ The Senate released the nearly 1,000-page bill minutes before midnight on Friday night. It makes some notable modifications to the House’s version of the bill – which passed that chamber by just one vote in May – particularly on Medicaid and green energy credits. Among their issues is the difference in provider tax rates and state-directed payments, both of which states use to help fund their share of Medicaid costs. Whereas the House bill called for freezing provider taxes at their current rates and blocking new ones from being implemented, the Senate’s bill went a step further – forcing states to gradually phase down their provider tax rates to 3.5%, if they adopted the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion. That would include 40 states and Washington, D.C. The Senate’s most recent bill text shows that phase-down happening between 2028 and 2032. Sixteen House GOP moderates wrote a letter to congressional leaders sounding the alarm on those Medicaid provisions earlier this week. They said it “undermines the balanced approach taken to craft the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1—particularly regarding provider taxes and state-directed payments.” “The Senate version treats expansion and non-expansion states unfairly, fails to preserve existing state programs, and imposes stricter limits that do not give hospitals sufficient time to adjust to new budgetary constraints or to identify alternative funding sources,” the letter read. To offset Senate Republicans’ concerns about their chamber’s proposed limits on state-directed payments and provider tax rates, the Senate Finance Committee included a $25 billion rural hospital fund in their legislation. It was enough to sway Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who told reporters on Saturday that he would support the bill after expressing earlier concern about the Medicaid provisions’ impact on rural hospitals. But in the House, sources are signaling to Fox News Digital that moderate Republicans could still need convincing if the bill passes the Senate this weekend. TOP TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR ‘MISLEADING’ CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM It could pose problems for House GOP leaders given their thin three-vote majority, though it’s worth noting that the legislation could still change before it reaches the lower chamber. But one senior House GOP aide told Fox News Digital they believe the moderates will ultimately fall in line, even if the text doesn’t change. “Moderate Republicans can plead and beg with House leadership all they want – the reforms to Medicaid made in the Senate are here to stay,” the senior aide said. “And ultimately, these lawmakers will roll over and vote for the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ because the wrath of President Trump is far worse than a lower provider tax.” Fox News Digital reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson’s office for comment. For his part, Johnson, R-La., has publicly urged the Senate on multiple occasions to change the bill as little as possible – given the fragile unity that must be struck in the House to pass it.
Prosecutors tied to Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases fired by Justice Department: reports
The Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has abruptly fired at least three federal prosecutors involved in cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to multiple reports. Among those dismissed were two supervisory attorneys who oversaw Capitol riot prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., and a line prosecutor directly involved in trying several related cases, according to the Associated Press, citing sources familiar with the matter. NBC News is also reported to have independently confirmed the firings. BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES: FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN The prosecutors received termination letters signed by Bondi. According to both outlets, the letters provided no specific reason for the removals, citing only “Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States.” That phrase is often used in federal employment law to indicate the executive branch’s constitutional authority to appoint or remove personnel. Fox News Digital contacted the Justice Department for confirmation and comment but did not immediately receive a response. President Trump has repeatedly referred to the Jan. 6 defendants as political prisoners. On his first day back in the White House in January 2025, he pardoned or commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals who had been convicted or were incarcerated in connection with the Capitol attack. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM The latest terminations follow a broader reshuffling of senior DOJ personnel. In January, the department dismissed more than a dozen officials who had worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump. Then–Acting Attorney General James McHenry justified the removals by stating those individuals could not be trusted to “faithfully implement the president’s agenda.” During his time as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, Ed Martin also demoted several prosecutors in the Capitol Siege Section, including two attorneys who had helped secure seditious conspiracy convictions against Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio. In February, Attorney General Bondi ordered a review of the federal prosecution of Donald Trump and launched a broad internal audit aimed at “realigning the Justice Department’s priorities” in line with the White House agenda. That effort included the creation of a “weaponization working group” tasked with examining perceived “politicized justice” across federal law enforcement. The group is also reportedly reviewing the actions of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought civil and criminal cases against Trump and his family. The Associated Press and Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
House GOP freshman celebrates young American’s safe homecoming amid Iran-Israel conflict
Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., welcomed 21-year-old Seth McCready home from Israel this week, as the State Department issued a security alert for U.S. citizens traveling worldwide and the conflict between Israel and Iran raged on. McCready talked to Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at the Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday after he traveled from Israel to Jordan to Egypt before catching his final flight home. The Virginia native was greeted by his father and two brothers at the International Arrivals Gate, all sporting big smiles and embracing as their congressman stood by with red, white and blue balloons and an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol. “God protected me and the people I was with, and he’s protecting Israel too,” McCready said. “I 100% believe Israel’s gonna pull through, no problem.” REPUBLICANS CONGRATULATE TRUMP AMID IRAN CEASEFIRE AS DEMS HOLD BACK APPLAUSE McGuire’s office was in constant contact with McCready during his days-long journey home from Israel, according to the young American. TUGBOATS, CRUISE SHIPS AND FLIGHTS: ISRAEL BEGINS EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF CITIZENS AMID IRAN WAR When the Jewish state launched its initial attacks on Iran, which President Donald Trump has referred to as the “12-day war,” McCready was visiting family in Israel. He told Fox News Digital that he was later able to volunteer with a ministry group, preparing rooms and even delivering food to those in need as the strikes continued. “We did get a couple impacts. There was one that was like a kilometer away from me, and the whole building shook,” McCready said, describing a strike that slipped through Israel’s defenses. McGuire, who joined McCready’s family to welcome him home on Tuesday, said, “I’m just so happy for his family. You can’t always help somebody, but when you can, that’s the best part about this job.” The freshman Virginia congressman said he worked with the State Department to secure McCready’s path home. Both McCready and McGuire thanked his political director, Ramona Christian, for her vital role in getting McCready home. “It’s just a big team effort, and this is the second young person we helped get home in a week. And now we’ve got a couple of other folks that have reached out to our office, and we’re hoping to be able to help them as well,” McGuire told Fox News Digital in an interview. McGuire celebrated McCready’s homecoming as the fragile ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel had just begun. Questions remained about whether the ceasefire would hold when Trump announced on Monday evening that “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.” Trump said the U.S. successfully struck three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday night, but questions remain on Capitol Hill as to what degree the strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program. McGuire, a Trump loyalist who secured his endorsement in 2024, said the “ability for Iran to project power has been greatly diminished.” “We had an imminent threat of a nuclear weapon in Iran, and we just couldn’t have that,” McGuire added. “That threat has been eliminated.” Israel had launched a series of coordinated attacks on Iran on June 13, which Iran retaliated against, prompting the countries to exchange strikes for 12 days. After the U.S. struck Iran, the Islamic Republic launched retaliatory attacks on a U.S. air base in Qatar. But McGuire affirmed he is “very hopeful” that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will hold and that there will be peace in the Middle East. The Virginia Republican is a member of the House Oversight Committee and the House Armed Services, bringing his 10 years of experience as a Navy SEAL to the position.
Pompeo says Iran strike shows US is ‘back to leading the world’
EXCLUSIVE – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the recent U.S. military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities sent a signal to the world. Pompeo, who served as CIA director and later as the top U.S. diplomat in President Donald Trump’s first administration, said in a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that the attack delivered a message “that America is back leading in the world.” And regardless of the heated debate this week over the president’s claims that the attack “obliterated” Iran’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons, Pompeo said “there was sufficient damage done” and, as a result, “Americans are safer.” CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE U.S. STRIKE ON IRAN Pompeo cautioned that “there are some risks in the near term, for sure. Iranians could decide to do something clandestine, or a terror cell here or something. But make no mistake about it, what President Trump did and what the Israelis did before him, made not only the region, the Gulf and Israel, safer, they made the United States and the West safer.” Praising the Trump administration’s handling of the strike on Iran, Pompeo noted, “I think they’ve got it nearly pitch perfect. They got the messaging right. They ran an incredibly good military operation as well.” TRUMP SAYS US WOULD STRIKE AGAIN IF IRAN REBUILDS NUCLEAR PROGRAM And he said the U.S. is now closer to ridding “ourselves of this risk that you’ll have an ayatollah, a theocracy, a thug that will have the capacity to build a nuclear weapons program.” Pompeo was interviewed before delivering a speech titled “Rebuilding American Deterrence” to the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. Pointing to the strike on Iran, Pompeo told Fox News that America’s deterrence against top adversaries across the globe “increased as a result of what happened in the Middle East. It’s undoubtedly true.” In his speech and during his interview, Pompeo also called out isolationists on the right and left for abandoning U.S. global leadership. “There are those in my own party and those on the left who don’t think American leadership matters in the world, that it’s not worth it for the United States of America to do the hard work to keep our people safe,” he argued. And Pompeo said part of his message is “that absent American leadership in the world, we’re all a lot less safe.” KEEP YOUR EYES ON THESE REPUBLICANS IN THE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACE TO SUCCEED TRUMP Pompeo took a hard look at running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and made multiple trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states that have traditionally voted in the GOP presidential primaries. And his return to the Granite State sparked speculation regarding a potential 2028 White House bid. Wednesday night’s event was held at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, which for decades has been a must-stop in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state for those with national ambitions. “Yeah, unavoidable. The question comes out when someone who’s the former secretary of state travels to this beautiful place,” Pompeo told Fox News, as he referred to New Hampshire. Pompeo said, “I really came here because I do want to be part of the policy debate. What happens three and a half years from now is an awfully long ways off.” But at this extremely early point in the 2028 election cycle, he didn’t rule out a possible White House run, saying “we’ll see what the good Lord brings in a couple of years.” Asked if he wasn’t ruling out anything down the road when it comes to service to the nation, Pompeo told Fox News, “No, if I get a call and an opportunity for a place that I think I can make a difference, I’ll do it every time.”
Republican senators say leaked Iran damage report was inaccurate, politically motivated
Republican senators told Fox News Digital that after receiving a fuller intelligence report on airstrikes authorized by President Donald Trump against Iran’s nuclear facilities that they believe the initial leaked reports underestimating the damage were inaccurate and politically motivated. “I think the leaked intelligence report was not accurate, and given the 14 bunker-buster bombs that were dropped on the Iranian nuclear weapons facility, I think that the clear evidence is the damage was overwhelming,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In response to why so many media outlets ran with the leaked story, Cruz told Fox News Digital that “clearly there was a political agenda at play.” Earlier this week, CNN, citing people familiar with the assessment, reported that the early consensus within the Defense Intelligence Agency is that the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan didn’t destroy key components of Iran’s nuclear program nor destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. TRUMP TOUTS ADMINISTRATION’S PROGRESS ON PEACE DEALS, SAYS WORLD LEADERS ‘RESPECT OUR COUNTRY AGAIN’ The outlet also reported that the strike likely only set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months, not years, as touted by the Trump administration. Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth railed against the “fake news” media during a NATO summit press conference for casting doubt that the U.S. strikes on Iran obliterated the country’s nuclear program. “A statement came in from the Atomic Energy Commission of Israel,” Trump said during a Wednesday press conference from The Hague as he wrapped up his NATO summit trip in the Netherlands. “They’re very serious people, as you know.” “‘The devastating U.S. strike on Fordow destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable,’” Trump read from the letter. “‘It was devastated. We assessed that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons for many years to come. This achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.’” HEGSETH TEARS INTO REPORTERS, ALLEGING THEY ‘CHEER AGAINST TRUMP’ AND IRAN STRIKES Senators received a classified intelligence briefing on the strikes from top national security officials on Thursday. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital that widespread reporting on the leaked report was to “try to undermine Trump, of course.” “Listen, we walked through this in the briefing, without getting into things I shouldn’t talk about. Basically, that is not an accurate picture, and it didn’t purport to be,” said Hawley. “What they were quoting was actually not a full intelligence report; it was more akin to an after-action, early assessment guess. So, without saying more, basically it was very misrepresented.” “And the thing is,” he went on, “any reporter who covers the Pentagon and covers national security, they would know that. So, I have to say, kind of bad faith, I think, by our reporter friends in the liberal media who are clearly just trying to undermine the president.” TRUMP ACCUSES AYATOLLAH OF ‘LIE’ ON IRAN STRIKE: ‘HIS COUNTRY WAS DECIMATED’ At least one Democratic senator, meanwhile, was also pleased with what was said during the briefing. “Most of my questions were answered. I think it was a good briefing,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. “I think Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. Hopefully, this has set back that program dramatically. And ultimately, we will see them go to the negotiating table, because that’s the real long-term solution.” While many Democrats have called the strikes an unconstitutional move by the president, Shaheen said, “it was a limited, contained strike” and “I think if it dramatically set back Iran’s nuclear program – initial reports are that it has – that’s a good thing.” Other Democratic senators, however, were still not so mollified by the briefing. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told Fox News Digital that the briefing “has not changed” his prior assessment that the strikes were a “clear violation of our Constitution” and that “Trump is yet again betraying Americans by embroiling the United States directly in this conflict.” TRUMP WOULD STRIKE IRAN ‘WITHOUT QUESTION’ IF IT RESTARTS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital that the briefing “didn’t change my view, but I think I’d rather just leave it there, because it’s all classified.” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., was more vague on whether his opinion had been changed. “I can’t tell you what I learned in a classified briefing. I can tell you that it was destructive,” said Coons. “We do not yet have a full and complete picture of exactly what capabilities were degraded or destroyed and what additional risks we may face or what decisions the Iranian regime may make.”
Trump touts success of Iran strikes and attack’s initial damage assessments during 23rd week in office
President Donald Trump continued to brag about the success of the U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and visited the Netherlands for the NATO summit this week. The U.S. launched strikes late Saturday targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities, which involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters Sunday. Following the strikes, Trump said in an address to the nation that the mission left the nuclear sites “completely and totally obliterated.” But days later, a leaked report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, published by CNN and the New York Times, cast doubt on those claims, saying that the strikes had only set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months. TRUMP WOULD STRIKE IRAN ‘WITHOUT QUESTION’ IF IT RESTARTS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM Meanwhile, the U.S., Israel and Iran’s Foreign Ministry have all said the three nuclear sites that U.S. forces struck have encountered massive damage. Still, Trump has said he won’t hesitate to launch additional strikes against Iran – should Tehran seek to beef up its nuclear program again. Here’s also what happened this week: Trump attended the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader said in a post on X on Wednesday that the two “covered all the truly important issues” as the U.S. has sought to broker a peace deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. TRUMP PRAISED FOR GETTING NATO ALLIES TO BOLSTER DEFENSE SPENDING: ‘REALLY STAGGERING’ NATO allies – all but Spain – agreed Wednesday to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Trump has long advocated for NATO allies to ramp up defense spending to between 2% and 5% GDP – and has made it clear that European nations need to shoulder greater responsibility for the security of their continent. Trump pressed lawmakers to get his sweeping tax and domestic policy bill to the finish line on Thursday, labeling the measure the “single-most important piece of border legislation ever to cross the floor of Congress.” TRUMP SAYS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ BILL ‘MUST’ MEET DEADLINE AS SOME REPUBLICANS WAVER “This is the ultimate codification of our agenda to – very simply, a phrase that’s been used pretty well by me over the past 10 years, but maybe even before that – make America great again,” Trump said at a “One, Big, Beautiful Event” at the White House on Thursday. Meanwhile, Republicans are scrambling to reform and pass the measure ahead of Trump’s July 4 deadline, following Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s determination Thursday that several Medicaid reforms in the sweeping tax passage did not follow Senate rules and must be removed.