WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senators emerged from a classified briefing Thursday with sharply diverging assessments of President Donald Trump鈥檚 , with Republicans calling the mission a clear success and Democrats expressing deep skepticism.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came to Capitol Hill to give the classified briefings, originally scheduled for Tuesday.
Many Republicans left satisfied, though their assessments of how much Iran鈥檚 nuclear program was set back by the bombing varied. Sen. Tom Cotton said a 鈥渕ajor blow鈥� and 鈥渃atastrophic damage鈥� had been dealt to Iran's facilities.
鈥淭heir operational capability was obliterated. There is nobody working there tonight. It was highly effective. There鈥檚 no reason to hit those sites anytime soon,鈥� said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Democrats remained doubtful and criticized Trump for not giving Congress more information. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the briefing 鈥渞aised more questions than it answered.鈥�
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the strike appears to "have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months."
鈥淭here's no doubt there was damage done to the program,鈥� said Murphy, but 鈥渁llegations that we have obliterated their program just don't seem to stand up to reason.鈥�
鈥淚 just do not think the president was telling the truth when he said this program was obliterated,鈥� he added.
The session came as senators weighed their support for a resolution affirming that Trump should seek authorization from Congress before launching more . A vote on that resolution could come as soon as Thursday.
Democrats, and some Republicans, have said the White House overstepped its authority when it failed to seek the advice of Congress. They also want to know more about the intelligence that Trump relied on when he authorized the attacks.
A similar briefing for House members will be held Friday.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence report found that Iran鈥檚 nuclear program had been set back only a few months, contradicting statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, according to two people familiar with the report. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
鈥淵ou want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated 鈥� choose your word. This was an historically successful attack,鈥� Thursday.
On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Ratcliffe sent out statements backing Trump鈥檚 claims that the facilities were 鈥渃ompletely and fully obliterated.鈥�
Gabbard posted on social media that 鈥渘ew intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities have been destroyed.鈥� She said that if the Iranians choose to rebuild the three facilities, it would 鈥渓ikely take years to do.鈥�
Ratcliffe said in a statement from the CIA that Iran's nuclear program has been 鈥渟everely damaged.鈥� He cited new intelligence 鈥渇rom a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.鈥�
Most Republicans have defended Trump and hailed the tentative ceasefire he brokered in the Israel-Iran war. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., went as far as to question the constitutionality of the , which is intended to give Congress a say in military action.
鈥淭he bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the president, and the person empowered to act on the nation鈥檚 behalf is the president,鈥� Johnson told reporters.
But some Republicans, including some of Trump鈥檚 staunchest supporters, are uncomfortable with the strikes and the potential for U.S. involvement in an extended Middle East conflict.
鈥淚 think the speaker needs to review the Constitution,鈥� said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. 鈥淎nd I think there鈥檚 a lot of evidence that our Founding Fathers did not want presidents to unilaterally go to war.鈥�
Paul would not say whether he would vote for the resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would require congressional approval for specific military action in Iran. A simple majority in the Senate is needed to pass the resolution and Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage.
鈥淚 will have Republican votes, plural,鈥� Kaine said. 鈥淏ut whether it鈥檚 two or 10, I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Kaine authored a in 2020 aimed at limiting Trump鈥檚 authority to launch military operations against Iran. At the time, eight Republicans joined Democrats in approving the resolution.
鈥淚 think I have a chance to get some votes from people who are glad that President Trump did this over the weekend, but they鈥檙e saying, 鈥極k, but now if we鈥檙e really going to go to war, it should only have to go through the Congress,鈥欌�� Kaine told The Associated Press before the briefing.
While Trump did not seek approval, he sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, which occurred Saturday between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. EDT, or roughly 2:10 a.m. on Sunday in Iran.
The letter said the strike was taken 鈥渢o advance vital United States national interests, and in collective self-defense of our ally, Israel, by eliminating Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Matt Brown and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the military action resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requires a simple majority of the Senate, not 60 votes.
Joey Cappelletti And Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
