CNN Caught Pushing Another Hoax, Adding to This Long List of Media Hoaxes [WATCH]

June 24, 2025

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is calling on CNN to issue a retraction after the network claimed the White House failed to brief Democrat congressional leaders ahead of Saturday night’s airstrikes on Iranian targets.

The operation, known as “Operation Midnight Hammer,” was launched in coordination with U.S. and Israeli military efforts.

The CNN report alleged that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed prior to the strikes, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., were only informed after the operation had concluded but before it was publicly announced.

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Leavitt publicly disputed the claims on X, writing, “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

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According to Leavitt, the administration made efforts to inform all congressional leaders in advance of the military action.

While she acknowledged that Jeffries was not reached until after the strikes, she confirmed that he did receive a briefing.

CNN has not responded publicly to Leavitt’s demand for a correction, nor has the outlet issued any retraction or clarification as of this report.

Neither Schumer nor Jeffries has directly contradicted the White House account.

Both released public statements over the weekend criticizing the decision to launch military action without congressional approval, but neither indicated that they were not briefed or that the White House failed to attempt contact.

In a written statement following the strikes, Schumer said, “No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy.”

Jeffries also issued a statement, writing, “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.”

He added, “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.”

Both lawmakers criticized the White House’s approach to the operation but did not claim they had been excluded from briefings or that attempts were not made to inform them.

The controversy centers around the timing of the notifications to congressional leadership and whether the administration provided sufficient consultation ahead of military action.

The White House maintains that its actions were consistent with protocol and that all leadership was contacted in a timely manner.

The Biden and Trump administrations have both faced scrutiny in the past over congressional notifications related to military actions.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the executive branch is required to consult with Congress before engaging in hostilities and must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying armed forces into conflict.

The White House has not indicated whether any further updates will be provided regarding the timeline of congressional notifications related to the Iran strikes.

Breitbart compiled this long list of other hoaxes: