Trump Administration Declares “War On Leakers” Amid Classified Information Crackdown
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to curb the sharing of classified information with Congress significantly, a drastic measure sparked by a leak of a preliminary intelligence assessment suggesting that the recent U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities were not as successful as President Trump initially claimed.
The FBI has also launched an investigation into the leak, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
The revelation comes just as the White House was already fending off criticism from CNN over its initial, erroneous report that Democratic leaders were not briefed on the Iran strikes.
RELATED: White House Unleashes Fury On CNN Reporter Amid Iran Strike Controversy
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the network Monday, forcing a correction and highlighting what she called a “blatant lie” based on “timestamps from those phone calls” proving bipartisan briefings took place.
However, the new focus shifts from CNN’s reporting accuracy to the administration’s internal struggles with information control following the highly sensitive military operation. The leaked preliminary “Battle Damage Assessment” from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has reportedly infuriated President Trump and top U.S. officials.
They contend the assessment was incomplete and that its public release was a deliberate attempt to undermine the President’s assertion that Iran’s nuclear sites had been “obliterated.”
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“We are declaring a war on leakers,” a senior White House official stated Wednesday, signaling a severe crackdown. “The FBI is investigating the leak. The intelligence community is figuring out how to tighten up their processes so we don’t have ‘Deep State’ actors leaking parts of intel analysis that have ‘low confidence’ to the media.”
A key target for these new restrictions is CAPNET, the secure system through which the administration shares classified information with Congress. The DIA’s preliminary assessment on the Iran bombings was uploaded to CAPNET late Monday.
By Tuesday afternoon, snippets of the assessment had been reported by CNN and The New York Times, suggesting that Iran’s nuclear program had only been set back by “a matter of months” rather than being “obliterated.”
Democrats in Congress had already expressed frustration over the administration’s perceived lack of transparency regarding the bombings, with some members reportedly not receiving briefings prior to the strikes. The White House’s proposed tightening of classified information sharing is expected to ignite a fresh wave of criticism from Capitol Hill.
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However, administration officials appear resolute. “Go figure: Almost as soon as we put the information on CAPNET, it leaks,” an administration source remarked. “There’s no reason to do this again.”
Sources who spoke with Axios, while unable to disclose further details of the DIA assessment, emphasized three critical aspects of the report: it was compiled within 24 hours of the bombings, relying solely on satellite photos rather than on-the-ground observations; it represented only an early “snapshot” from one of the 18 intelligence agencies; and it explicitly acknowledged its own “low confidence,” serving as a tool to guide potential follow-up strikes.
This internal assessment contrasts with an early evaluation from Israeli intelligence services, who reported that the U.S. and Israeli strikes caused “very significant” damage.
READ: Sec. Hegseth Rips Media “Agenda-Driven” Leaks; Confirms “Obliterated” Iran Nuclear Sites
The escalating battle over classified information sharing underscores the deep distrust between elements within the administration and the “Deep State” — as some officials refer to intelligence community elements — and the mounting tension between the executive branch and Congress over oversight and transparency.
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