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The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Morning Report newsletter SubscribeThe White House is ramping up its defense of President Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites after an intelligence assessment has added to growing scrutiny over the effectiveness of the strikes.
Trump, who has sought to parry criticism of the intervention by touting a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran clinched after the bombings, has bristled at media reports casting doubt on his claims.
Appearing at the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, Trump insisted there was "total obliteration" at the Iran nuclear sites, putting Tehran's nuclear program back "basically decades."
The president in a Truth Social post late Tuesday accused news outlets of teaming up to "DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY."
An initial U.S. intelligence assessment reported by multiple media outlets Tuesday found the strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites delayed Tehran's nuclear program by a matter of months — and possibly fewer than six.
The assessment is preliminary and could change, the reports noted, but it cast doubt on whether the bombings against the sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan had "obliterated" the program as the president has claimed.
The core components of Iran’s nuclear program reportedly remain intact, raising new questions about Tehran’s next moves and whether the U.S. might revisit additional military action in the future in its goal to destroy it.
Trump has declared success and suggested no new plans for U.S. intervention against Iran in support of Israel, and chastized both countries on Tuesday as both sides claimed the other had violated a ceasefire.
The White House has moved quickly to dismiss the contents of the intelligence assessment, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt casting the agency analysis as ”flat-out wrong.”
"The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement to The Hill.
Vice President Vance, addressing a GOP fundraiser in Lima, Ohio, on Tuesday night, told the audience, “Not only did we destroy the Iranian nuclear program, we did it with zero American casualties.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea told the U.N. Security Council the U.S. operation "effectively fulfilled our narrow objective: to degrade Iran’s capacity to produce a nuclear weapon.”
Trump indicated Wednesday Israel was also conducting assessments of the strikes. Hegseth said the Trump administration plans to investigate how the intelligence assessment was leaked to the media.
▪ The Hill: Trump’s “both sides” approach to Israel, Iran comes into question.
The White House on Tuesday abruptly postponed lawmaker briefings about the Iran mission until later this week, infuriating skeptical Democrats and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky), who has criticized the strikes.
"The Top Secret Israel-Iran war briefing we were supposed to receive today was canceled. They say it was 'postponed,' but no new date was given. What the Hell?" Massie wrote on social media platform X.
"If the press reporting about the impact of last weekend's strikes in Iran is true, and I cannot confirm them, then that might be the reason why the administration postponed our classified briefing today at the very last minute," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
Trump earlier in the week had criticized “sleazebag” journalists for reporting uncertainty about the extent of damage from the U.S. strikes, stating the sites "were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it."
The president then turned his focus to announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which appears to be holding after some initial shakiness.
A White House source told CBS News that Trump was “exceptionally firm and direct” in his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire, and the source said Netanyahu had “understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed.”
Netanyahu said he had held off on tougher strikes after talking with Trump.
▪ The Hill: Trump tensions with Israel, Netanyahu surface.
▪ The Hill: The president’s push for a ceasefire soothed MAGA nerves.
Israel has touted its 12-day military campaign against Iran as having an impact on setting Tehran's nuclear program back.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in New York City on Tuesday it’s “too early to assess all the strikes” and too early to hold diplomatic talks with Iran but talks could happen soon.
“We know we were able to push back the program,” he added. “We were able to remove the imminent threat that we had.”
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told senators on Tuesday during a confirmation hearing that Iran still possesses “significant tactical capability.” He said that capability was demonstrated by a limited retaliatory missile strike against a U.S. military base in Qatar, which Iran telegraphed ahead of time to make a point while preventing any casualties.
In response to a question about whether Iran still poses a threat to U.S. troops and Americans around the world, Cooper replied, “They do.”
SMART TAKE with BLAKE BURMAN
I talked with two Senate Republicans about the prospects of where the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stands, and the July 4 target date for passage.
“Absolutely, it’s getting done,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told me. “We’re going to have a bill that isn’t perfect, but it’s good. It’s moving us in the right direction, getting us away from the Biden-era policies, moving us into the Trump-era policies which is what the American people voted for in November.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is waiting to see the final text and the potential price tag.
“Until we address that, or I see a believable strategy to address additional deficit reduction in the future, it's pretty difficult for me to vote yes and accept this as the new normal,” Johnson said.
Deadlines often shift in this town, and the August recess will be a key motivator. So, too, will be the need to lift the debt limit this summer, which could very well be the true deadline.
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 Things to Know Today
The administration is shattering norms with its handling of Americans’ personal information while dismantling barriers around data, with privacy experts raising alarm. Drone debris found in Ukraine indicates Russia is using new technology from Iran. Big banks are trying to get out of the crosshairs of red states that are cracking down on companies for “woke” policies and worry the president could turn the power of the federal government against banks, as he has with universities and big law firms.Leading the Day
EMPIRE STATE UPSET: Progressive State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani stunned political observers across the country on Tuesday as he looked set to win the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo didn’t wait for the entire vote to be tabulated to concede to Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist whose campaign ignited enthusiam among younger voters. Less than two hours after polls closed, Cuomo told supporters that “tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night.”
In his victory speech, Mamdani, 33, promised to lift up the city’s working class and serve as a model for the future of the Democratic party.
“A life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few,” he said. “It should be one that city government guarantees for each and every New Yorker.”
Mamdani, who netted endorsements from progressive heavyweights including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), stunned observers with his strong showing against Cuomo. If elected, Mamdani would be New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
Most polls leading up to the primary showed Cuomo ahead, though not outright winning, in the first round of ranked-choice voting, though a final survey from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill found Mamdani winning in a final round of ranked-choiced simulation.
Cuomo told The New York Times he is considering still running as an independent in the general election.
Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), blasted the nomination, characterizing Mamdani as radical. Stefanik also pointed fingers at New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, whom she promised to “fire” in 2026.
▪ The Hill: Five key takeaways from the NYC mayoral primary.
▪ The New York Times: Can Mamdani help lead the Democratic Party out of the darkness?
▪ New York magazine: Mamdani just remade American politics.
▪ The Hill: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg — who received widespread national attention over his successful prosecution of Trump — won the Democratic nomination for another term in office.
NATO: Trump is in The Hague for a whirlwind two days at the NATO summit, where what comes next in the nearly two-week conflict between Iran and Israel will dominate his bilateral meetings and informal pull-asides with world leaders.
Trump on Wednesday reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Article 5, after previously stoking some uncertainty over whether the U.S. would abide by NATO’s mutual defense guarantees.
“We are with them all the way,” Trump said.
The president, whose relationship with the alliance is rocky and fraught with public slights, has been pushing for years to get other members to increase their defense spending.
Those commitments will take center stage as world leaders prepare to back a goal of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to increase security — and appease Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has already launched a charm offensive to appease the president.
“President Trump, dear Donald, you made this change possible,” Rutte said Wednesday. “Your leadership on this has already produced $1 trillion in extra spending from European allies since 2016 and the decisions today will produce trillions more for our common defence to make a stronger and fairer equalising spending between America and America’s allies.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio dubbed the meeting “the Trump summit” in an interview with Politico as the alliance prepares to sign the defense spending agreement. But Trump won’t agree to Europe’s request to ratchet up sanctions on Russia, Rubio said Wednesday, adding the U.S. still wants room to negotiate a peace deal.
The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels break down what to watch for at the summit.
▪ The New York Times: NATO’s aim? Give Trump what he wants: a win on military spending.
▪ BBC: These nine NATO countries missed their defense spending targets.
UKRAINE: NATO leaders are tiptoeing around rifts among members, striving to project unity. But among European leaders, reality is setting in that the Trump administration isn’t looking to provide new military aid to Kyiv, and assistance approved during the Biden era is running out.
On his way to the summit, Trump told reporters he would “probably” meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit, but NATO officials are trying to keep them apart as much as possible in public. In recent years, Zelensky has been a VIP guest and lobbied both for military aid and NATO membership for Ukraine.
“Our friends among NATO countries understand the delicacy of the situation and are trying to do everything possible to ensure Ukraine is present at the summit, while at the same time avoiding antagonizing Trump,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian Parliament committee on foreign policy, according to The Washington Post.
▪ The Kyiv Independent: The Council of Europe and Ukraine will sign an agreement on June 25 to set up a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.
When and Where
The president is participating in the annual NATO summit, held in the Netherlands. Trump at The Hague this morning posed for a photo and joined a breakfast with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, followed by an official NATO greeting and brief discussion with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump joined a group photo with NATO leaders, followed by a plenary discussion. The president in the afternoon plans bilateral meetings and will take press questions at 3 p.m. local time. Trump is scheduled to depart The Hague at 4:40 p.m. local to return to the White House this evening. The House will meet at 10 a.m. The Senate will convene at 3:30 p.m.Zoom In
WEEKEND VOTES? Determined to meet a self-imposed July 4 deadline to pass Trump’s one “big, beautiful bill” in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) expects to start voting late this week. That could stretch senators’ voting schedule into the weekend and upend the planned Independence Day recess.
Senate GOP leaders are expected today to release the bill’s text, writes The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, setting up a vote on a motion to proceed to the legislation on Thursday. That puts the Senate on track to begin a vote-a-rama on amendments to the bill Friday.
The Senate parliamentarian heard arguments about the tax provisions in the bill after weighing arguments Monday about proposed steep cuts to Medicaid, including proposals to limit federal Medicaid funding for migrants. Thune has endorsed the concept of a health care provider relief fund to help rural hospitals cope with cuts to Medicaid funding.
The cuts to federal Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) spending, which the parliamentarian had ruled out of bounds under reconciliation rules, have been reworked to pass procedural muster and will be added back to the massive legislation.
But some Republicans, notably Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), do not like the idea of shifting more of the cost for food assistance onto the states. And Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), one of the most vulnerable Senate Republican incumbents facing reelection in 2026, told Thune bluntly in a private meeting Tuesday that deep cuts to Medicaid could cost Republicans control of the House and Senate.
“Thom Tillis got up and he had a chart on what the Senate’s provider tax structure will cost different states, including his,” said a person familiar with Tillis’s blunt exchange with Thune behind closed doors. “His will lose almost $40 billion. He walked through that and said ‘this will be devastating to my state.’”
▪ The Hill: More than a dozen House Republicans warned they won’t support the Senate’s version of the tax and spending bill because the proposed Medicaid cuts are too steep.
▪ The Wall Street Journal: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is aiming to close a loophole that allows large healthcare insurers to charge Medicare billions of dollars to cover veterans who get some or all of their treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
▪ Roll Call: Three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Senate Democrats are calling for the removal of further abortion restrictions in the reconciliation bill.
TARIFFS: White House national economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Tuesday that pending trade deals will emerge after passage of Trump’s tax and spending agenda, which Republicans hope will occur in the Senate early next month but could take longer.
“We know that we’re very, very close to a few countries and are waiting to announce after we get the big, beautiful bill closed,” Hassett told Fox Business. “So I think you’re going to see a sequence of trade [deals], starting really around the Fourth of July.”
Hassett said House Republicans “are really, really stoked” to receive a Senate-passed bill. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this bill passes before the weekend,” he added.
▪ Politico: Trump takes Middle East ceasefire to trade war strategy.
INTEREST RATES: House Democrats on Tuesday joined Republicans and the president in calling on the nation’s central bank to cut interest rates.
“From our side, we'd love to see the rates go down," Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) said during a House Financial Services Committee hearing with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “I know a number of my colleagues on the other side would love to see the rates go down. I think it's pretty unanimous."
Powell replied that a solid, if weakening U.S. economy and healthy labor market offered time for the Fed to assess its bet that U.S. tariffs will stoke inflation this year. He told lawmakers that recent economic data would have likely justified continuing to lower interest rates if not for concerns that higher tariffs might derail the fight to lower inflation.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR:
▪ The Hill: Murkowski has “considered” switching to the Senate Democratic caucus, but said she doesn’t see Democrats as being much better than Republicans.
▪ Axios: The Trump administration said nine former senior Biden aides won't be protected by executive privilege during a congressional probe into the former president’s mental fitness for office.
Elsewhere
ILLINOIS: Gov. JB Pritzker (D) will announce Thursday that he will seek a third term in the governor’s mansion next year, answering a question about his immediate political future but leaving unanswered whether he will pursue a longer-term goal of running for president in 2028.
TEXAS: Former astronaut Terry Virts launched his campaign to unseat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), appearing eager to take on his own party as well as Trump’s. Cornyn faces a competitive primary battle against state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
IMPEACHMENT? Showcasing the party’s reticence about being tagged with another impeachment debate, House lawmakers shut down an effort by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) to try to impeach Trump over U.S. military strikes against Iran. The chamber voted 344-79 on Tuesday to table his resolution, which charged Trump with abuse of power; 128 Democrats voted with Republicans to table the measure.
▪ The Hill: Mixed messaging and the risk of overreach is threatening to undercut Trump on what has so far been arguably his strongest political issue: Immigration.
▪ The New York Times: The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the case of eight men it seeks to deport to South Sudan.
Opinion
Why Trump was confident that Iran was building a bomb, by David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post. Trump’s Iran strike was a mistake. I hope it succeeds, by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, guest essayist, The New York Times.The Closer
And finally … ?Scientists for the first time believe they’ve documented marine mammals making tools. The implement is stretchy kelp stalks and the savvy mammals using pieces are killer whales.
What have orcas been seen doing with bits of the swaying ocean forest? Researchers documented about 30 instances in which killer whales, which average 3 to 6 tons, rolled stalks of kelp against another whale, brushing or peeling away dead skin. They also used their teeth to shorten lengths of kelp and shape it for their grooming behavior, according to data reported Monday in Current Biology journal (video here).
The researchers believe what they’ve documented is common among southern resident orcas, a population that frequents waters off Washington state where kelp forests form an important ecosystem.
“It matches well with grooming in other species of animals, like apes and ungulates [mammals with hooves],” said Michael Weiss, a research director at the Center for Whale Research in Washington who is one of the study’s authors. “They’ll groom and preen each other as a primary way of maintaining special relationships.”
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