Ex-CIA director to brief Dems
WASHINGTON — House Democrats will hear from former CIA Director John Brennan about the situation in Iran, inviting him to speak amid heightened concerns over the Trump administration’s sudden moves in the region.
Brennan, an outspoken critic of President Trump, is scheduled to talk to House Democrats at a private weekly caucus meeting Tuesday, according to a Democratic aide and another person familiar with the private meeting. Both were granted anonymity to discuss the meeting.
The invitation to Brennan and Wendy Sherman, a former State Department official and top negotiator of the Iran nuclear deal, offers counterprogramming to the Trump administration’s closed-door briefing for lawmakers also planned for Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Democratic lawmakers are likely to attend both sessions.
The Trump administration recently sent an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Persian Gulf region, and withdrew nonessential personnel from Iraq, raising alarm among Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill over the possibility of a confrontation with Iran.
Trump in recent days has downplayed any potential for conflict. But questions remain about what prompted the actions.
Trump and Brennan have clashed openly, particularly over the issues surrounding the special counsel’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Brennan stepped down from the CIA in 2017.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been asking the administration for a briefing for all lawmakers on the situation in Iran. The administration provided a classified briefing for leaders of both parties last week. Lisa Mascaro is an Associated Press writer.