Amid allegations of abuse of presidential power in the United States regarding the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the Donald Trump administration unexpectedly postponed an intelligence briefing at the U.S. Congress on the 24th (local time).
According to major foreign media outlets such as The New York Times (NYT), the Trump administration was scheduled to privately explain to senators and representatives about the airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities on the 21st and the retaliatory attack on the U.S. military base in Qatar on the 23rd.
The briefing was to include key intelligence agency heads such as Tulsi Gabbard, Director General of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, Director-General of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among senior White House officials, but the White House suddenly informed of the postponement.
The Senate and House briefings have been postponed to the 26th and 27th, respectively. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the postponement of the briefings on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Senior officials of the administration will present the latest information on the Israel-Iran situation."
The postponement of the briefing drew attention after U.S. media reported a classified initial assessment report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the Department of Defense, indicating that "the key elements of Iran's nuclear program have not been destroyed."
The opposition Democratic Party is responding vehemently. The Democratic Party has demanded a congressional intelligence briefing in accordance with the War Powers Act, enacted in 1973, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military forces in foreign hostilities.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York), a member of the Democratic Party, held a press conference that day, criticizing the last-minute postponement as "absurd and evasive," stating, "The administration has a legal obligation to inform Congress exactly what is happening."