Schumer: Trump failed to alert top House, Senate leaders on Iran attack

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) on Friday knocked President Trump over a military strike that killed a senior Iranian military official, saying Trump failed to alert top lawmakers in the House and Senate before the move, which has led to a dramatic escalation in tensions with Tehran.

Schumer said Trump did not alert the Gang of Eight — the top four leaders in Congress and the top four lawmakers on the Senate and House Intelligence committees — ahead of the strike. He said that the nation’s Founding Fathers gave Congress the authority to declare war to force the commander in chief to consult with lawmakers before making hasty military decisions.

“I’m a member of the Gang of Eight, which is typically briefed in advance of operations of this level of significance. We were not,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.