Democrats in Congress are now trying to claim that the White House of President Donald Trump did not warn them ahead of time about the impending strikes that the administration was planning on carrying out against Iran. 

The White House, however, is vigorously pushing back on these claims.

The Daily Mail reports that, among those claiming that they were not informed about the strikes, are U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).

These are the ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence committees.

The details

CNN was one of the first to report on this story.

The outlet claimed:

President Donald Trump and his team were in contact with top congressional Republicans before his strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, but some key Democrats were not told of his plans until after the bombs had dropped, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.

It goes on to state, "But Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees, were not told until after the strikes had occurred, sources said."

Warner, in particular, took to social media to complain about the situation.

He, in part, wrote:

The president must come before Congress immediately to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict.

Fake outrage?

Now, the White House is pushing back against this reporting.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote: "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."

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. https://t.co/4VCgjkznKH

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 22, 2025

CNN has not retracted the report. It is also worth noting that Jeffries and Schumer were not as distraught as Warner about the situation, suggesting that, indeed, they probably were informed.

Both individuals, though, have come out against the president's strikes on Iran. Schumer, for example, has released a statement, saying:

No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy. Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased. We must enforce the War Powers Act and I’m urging Leader Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately.