6 Trump Voters React to the U.S.’ Bombing of Nuclear Sites in Iran
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Trump administration briefed top Republicans before Iran strikes, but not some Democrats
Some key Democrats were not told of his plans until after the bombs had dropped, sources say. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed that account, saying Schumer was called before the strikes. Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly lined up behind the president after the surprise strikes. Only three GOP lawmakers were publicly skeptical of Trump’s move, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, said he still plans to force a full Senate vote asserting Congress’ role in the war powers debate. The House and Senate are expected to take votes in the coming days on whether to restrict the president’s war powers, as well as a resolution requiring congressional approval before any strikes on nuclear sites in the Middle East. The White House made multiple efforts to reach Jeffries in advance of the strikes after talking to Schumer, a source says, but he could not be reached until after they were carried out, the source says. The strikes will now supercharge an already-tense debate in Congress over the limits of his war powers.
CNN —
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.
The top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, were both notified of the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities ahead of time, according to multiple GOP sources.
People familiar with the matter initially told CNN that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries received notifications shortly before the public announcement — and after the attack itself.
But after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed that account, a source conceded that Schumer had been called around 6 p.m. – a little less than an hour before the strikes began – with little detail. He was told of imminent military action without naming the country in which the action was to take place, the source said.
Leavitt wrote on X that the administration made “bipartisan courtesy calls to Congressional leadership” and spoke to Schumer in advance of the strikes. She said that Jeffries “could not be reached until after, but he was briefed.” Sources familiar with the matter said the administration made multiple efforts to reach Jeffries in advance of the strikes after talking to Schumer.
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.
Reaction to the strikes has so far broken along predictable partisan lines.
Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly lined up behind the president after the surprise strikes as most Democrats swiftly condemned his decision to launch them without congressional approval and demanded classified briefings.
Johnson and Thune both made clear within minutes that they would stand by Trump, followed by dozens of GOP lawmakers who posted their support.
“Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act,” Johnson wrote on X, defending Trump’s decision to move unilaterally. “The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, left, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, seen in April. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
As of Saturday night, only three GOP lawmakers were publicly skeptical of Trump’s move — including one, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who was already expected to force a full vote in the House next week on whether to restrict Trump’s war powers.
The president’s airstrikes on Saturday night will now supercharge an already-tense debate in Congress over the limits of his war powers, with both the House and Senate expected to take votes in the coming days.
Warner railed on the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran, “without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what’s at stake.”
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“The American people deserve more than vague rhetoric and unilateral decisions that could set off a wider war. 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,” Warner said.
His fellow Virginia Democrat, Sen. Tim Kaine, confirmed that he still plans to force a full Senate vote asserting Congress’ role, after initially introducing the resolution last week requiring Trump to seek congressional approval before any strikes on Iran.
“I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine said in a statement, adding that the American public remains opposed to US involvement in the conflict.
Massie, the Kentucky Republican who is leading the push in the House, said simply in response to Trump’s airstrikes announcement: “This is not Constitutional.”
Democrats are also likely to press the White House on its decision not to inform their top officials until after the strike was carried out.
Democrats on the “Gang of Eight,” which includes the congressional leaders from each party and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, typically would be briefed before a significant US military engagement. A White House official said the administration made calls to some members of Congress before the strikes as a “courtesy heads-up” but did not address the partisan breakdown of who was notified.
In the aftermath of the strike, many Democrats released statements criticizing Trump for going ahead with the strikes without congressional approval, with Illinois Rep. Sean Casten calling it an “impeachable offense.”
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont declared the action “grossly unconstitutional,” while Jeffries warned that US troops in the region could face retaliation from Iran as he demanded immediate classified briefings for lawmakers.
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“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” the New York Democrat said. “President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”
As of Saturday night, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was the sole congressional Democrat to praise the strikes, posting on X, “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.”
While most House and Senate Republicans were quick to support the strikes as the “right decision” or the “correct move,” a small number of House conservatives warned that the strikes required congressional approval.
Rep. Warren Davidson, an ex-Army ranger who has previously accused Congress of having “seemingly surrendered its power over war” post-9/11, raised questions about Trump’s authorities.
“While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional. I look forward to his remarks tonight,” the Ohio Republican wrote on X.
Before Trump announced the strikes, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also warned against striking Iran in a post on X. “Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war. There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first. Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer,” the Georgia Republican wrote.
After the strikes, she added, “Let us join together and pray for the safety of our U.S. troops and Americans in the Middle East. Let us pray that we are not attacked by terrorists on our homeland after our border was open for the past 4 years and over 2 Million gotaways came in.”
CNN’s Manu Raju, Lauren Fox, Haley Britzky and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
Iran threatened to ‘activate terror sleeper cells inside US’ if attacked
Sleeper cells are essentially spies who operate in the US and remain inactive until they are ordered to act. Mr Trump received the message via an intermediary at the G7 summit in Canada last week. He later told reporters he was not ‘in the mood’ to negotiate with Iran.
Sources told NBC News that Iran sent a communiqué to Donald Trump in the days before the US’s strikes, threatening to green-light the terror sleeper cells.
Mr Trump received the message via an intermediary at the G7 summit in Canada last week. He later told reporters he was not “in the mood” to negotiate with Iran.
Sleeper cells are essentially spies or terrorists who operate in the US and remain inactive until they are ordered to act.
It comes as Mr Trump authorised strikes on Iran’s three nuclear bases, Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, on Saturday night in a stealth mission he hailed “a spectacular military success”.
The US president had previously vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to American officials.
Israeli officials said they believed Iran’s heavily-fortified nuclear site at Fordow sustained serious damage from the strikes but had not been completely destroyed. A US official told the New York Times it had been taken “off the table”.
On Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, claimed Israel was “close” to wiping out Iran’s nuclear capabilities and ballistic missiles.
Key players tangle at UNSC at ‘perilous turn’ of US-Israel-Iran conflict
Tensions soar at the UN as Iran and its allies condemn US military actions, while the US and Israel reject censure. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the region was standing “on the brink of a deadly downward spiral” Russia, China and Pakistan have proposed a resolution demanding an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” The proposal does not explicitly name the United States or Israel, but it condemns the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. A vote has not yet been scheduled. To pass, the resolution requires the backing of at least nine members and no vetoes from the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US. This makes it a non-starter since the US will not censure itself. The IAEA’s Board of Governors approved a resolution declaring Iran was not complying with its commitment to international nuclear safeguards. Israel launched its initial attack on June 13, the day before the US attack.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has convened an emergency session after the US-led strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, prompting sharp rebukes from several member states and renewed calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East, while allies Israel and the US lauded the attack.
Russia, China and Pakistan have proposed a resolution demanding an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”, according to diplomats familiar with the draft circulated on Sunday. While the proposal does not explicitly name the United States or Israel, it condemns the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. A vote has not yet been scheduled.
To pass, the resolution requires the backing of at least nine members and no vetoes from the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US. This makes it a non-starter since the US will not censure itself.
Speaking to the UNSC, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the region was standing “on the brink of a deadly downward spiral”.
“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling,” Guterres said. “We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme.”
Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea defended the military action, saying that Washington had moved to dismantle Iran’s enrichment capacity to protect both US citizens and allies.
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“The time finally came for the United States, in defence of its ally and our own interests, to act decisively,” Shea told the chamber. “Iran should not escalate… Any Iranian attack, direct or indirect, against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”
Iran’s ambassador, Ali Bahreini, said the Israeli and US attacks on Iran did not come about “in a vacuum” and were the result of “politically motivated actions” of the US and its European partners.
He said the US “decided to destroy diplomacy”. He pointedly made it clear that the Iranian military will decide on the “timing, nature and scale” of its response.
Meanwhile, Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, said the attacks had made the world “a safer place”, rejecting calls for condemnation. When asked whether Israel supported regime change in Tehran, he said, “That’s for the Iranian people to decide, not for us.”
China’s ambassador, Fu Cong, condemned the US strikes and urged restraint. “We call for an immediate ceasefire,” he said. “China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control.”
Russia’s UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, described the attacks as yet another sign of Washington’s disregard for global norms. “The US has opened a Pandora’s box,” he said. “No one knows what catastrophe or suffering will follow.”
Pakistan’s ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, also condemned the US bombing as deeply troubling. “The sharp rise in tensions and violence as a result of Israeli aggression and unlawful actions is profoundly disturbing,” he said. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and brotherly people of Iran during this challenging time.”
This comment comes a day after Pakistan suggested that US President Donald Trump be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump’s announcement that US forces had “obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear sites marked the most significant Western military action against Tehran since the 1979 revolution.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, told the UNSC that while the scale of underground damage remained unclear, impact craters were visible at the Fordow enrichment site. The entrances to tunnels at the Isfahan site appeared to have been struck, while Natanz – long a target of Israeli sabotage – had been hit again.
Iran has castigated Grossi for being complicit in paving the way for Israel and the US to attack it.
The IAEA’s Board of Governors approved a resolution declaring Iran was not complying with its commitment to international nuclear safeguards the day before Israel launched its initial attack on June 13.
‘Necessary’ or ‘unfounded’? Americans in Texas respond to US strikes on Iran
US President Donald Trump said three nuclear sites in Iran were bombed. Iran confirmed sites were struck but denied they suffered any major damage. Attack comes after escalation between Israel and Iran that has entered its third week.
Trump told the nation in a televised address on Saturday night that the US had carried out “massive, precision strikes” on three key facilities.
Iranian officials confirmed sites were struck but denied they suffered any major damage.
The attack comes after escalation between Israel and Iran that has entered its third week.
Video by Angelica Casas in San Antonio
Business leaders from Bill Ackman to Jason Calacanis react to the US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites
President Donald Trump confirmed that US warplanes had executed “massive precision” airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. Business leaders from Bill Ackman to Jason Calacanis reacted to the news. The military operation marks a significant escalation in the tensions between Iran and Israel and represents a new level of US involvement in the international conflict. “The most escalatory thing that Iran can do is not to bomb U.S. military bases in the Middle East,” said Spencer Hakimian, the founder of hedge fund Tolou Capital Management. “You may just realize it yet,” said Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, of the rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran. “Bulletproof nerves of steel,” said James Fishback, a vocal supporter of Trump and co-founder of Azoria investment firm, in a series of posts on X. “It’s to close the Strait of Hormuz. And if that happens, Oil goes above $100 in the blink of an eye,” he added.
Business leaders from Dustin Moskovitz (left) to Bill Ackman (right) reacted to Donald Trump’s announcement of US airstrikes against Iran. Stefanie Keenan, Tasos Katopodis, Taylor Hill/Getty Images
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President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that US warplanes had executed “massive precision” airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, in what he described in a press conference as a “spectacular military success.”
The military operation marks a significant escalation in the tensions between Iran and Israel and represents a new level of US involvement in the international conflict.
Business leaders from Bill Ackman to Jason Calacanis reacted to the news.
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Bill Ackman
Billionaire hedge fund manager Ackman, a longtime ally of the president’s, was among the first to publicly react to the news with a post on X.
“Thank you to our great military for its superb execution on ridding Iran of its nuclear threat,” Ackman wrote shortly after the news broke. “All Americans are eternally grateful for you.”
Thank you to our great military for its superb execution on ridding Iran of its nuclear threat. All Americans are eternally grateful for you. — Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) June 22, 2025
He continued later, writing in a separate post: “To state the obvious, @realDonaldTrump’s actions tonight are a lot better than relying on the IRGC’s ‘commitment’ to not develop nuclear weapons.”
“In eight days, the United States and Israel eliminated Iran’s nuclear capabilities with minimal civilian casualties,” he added in another post. “One of the greatest military achievements ever.”
Jason Calacanis
Serial entrepreneur Calacanis posted on X, “Five months into Trump’s term, we’re at war.”
In a subsequent post, he elaborated, saying that his initial statement was “just an observation, published without judgement.”
“We don’t have the intelligence that our leaders have, so I will reserve judgement until we know more,” Calacanis wrote. “It should be obvious to everyone, however, that no president can just stop conflicts on day one. We now have three conflicts were involved in.”
It’s just an observation, published without judgement
We don’t have the intelligence that our leaders have, so I will reserve judgement until we know more.
It should be obvious to everyone, however, that no president can just stop conflicts on day one.
We now have three… — @jason (@Jason) June 22, 2025
Spencer Hakimian
The founder of hedge fund Tolou Capital Management responded to the strikes in a series of posts on social media, describing the US military operation as “completely undetectable,” given that no flight trackers showed US military aircraft over Iran within 30 minutes of the strikes.
“Say what you want,” Hakimian wrote. “The United States military is A1 and there’s not a close competitor at the moment.”
In a separate post, he added: “The most escalatory thing that Iran can do is not to bomb U.S. military bases in the Middle East. It’s to close the Strait of Hormuz. And if that happens, Oil goes above $100 in the blink of an eye. Iran is no military match for the United States. But they can wreak havoc via inflation. Just like Russia in 2022.”
The most escalatory thing that Iran can do is not to bomb U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
It’s to close the Strait of Hormuz.
And if that happens, Oil goes above $100 in the blink of an eye.
Iran is no military match for the United States.
But they can wreak havoc… — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) June 22, 2025
Shaun Maguire
Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, praised Trump as the “Greatest President of my lifetime.”
“You may just not realize it yet,” Maguire wrote in a post on X, alongside a picture of Trump with his fist in the air after he was wounded during an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. “Bulletproof instincts and nerves of steel.”
James Fishback
A vocal supporter of Trump and cofounder of Azoria investment firm, Fishback praised the US strikes — and criticized those who expressed concern over the rising geopolitical tensions — in a series of posts on X.
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“Iran can’t possibly think this is the start of a U.S. offensive. Trump’s been clear from the start: they can’t have a nuke. We just accomplished that. We’re done here,” Fishback said in one post. “If Iran chooses to retaliate against a clearly telegraphed, one-and-done strike, they’d be signing their own death warrant. Trump was right.”
In a separate post, he added: “The Fordow nuclear site was a uranium enrichment facility, not a mosque. Not everything is Islamophobia. Calm down. Leave your weird identity politics out of this.”
Blake Scholl
Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, which is developing what it calls the “world’s fastest airliner,” said in a post on X that he was “proud to be an American tonight.”
“We can all sleep safer knowing the most dangerous regime won’t have the most dangerous weapons,” he wrote.
Ronald Lauder
Lauder, one of the heirs of the Estee Lauder cosmetics company and a prominent pro-Israel lobbyist, said on X that a “nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat to Western civilization and global security.”
“It is my hope that today’s historic operation by the United States has brought an end to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions once and for all,” he wrote. “I applaud President Trump and his administration for having the courage to act decisively, and for lending critical American support to Israel’s effort to build a safer and more stable Middle East.”
Josh Wolfe
The Lux Capital cofounder and partner has shared several posts on X in the wake of the US strikes, including one responding to Calacanis’ initial suggestion that the US was “at war.”
“NO. We just helped stop MANY future wars,” he wrote.
Dustin Moskovitz
Moskovitz, the cofounder of Asana and Good Ventures, responded critically to Trump’s announcement that the US had struck multiple sites inside Iran.
“Now is the time for peace, President Trump says immediately after starting a war,” he wrote on Bluesky.
Trump made the call for peace in all caps at the end of his Truth Social post announcing the attack.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/us/trump-voters-iran-reaction.html