Lawmakers had mixed assessments on whether Trump's briefers justified Soleimani's killing. Pelosi had a zinger.

Nancy Pelosi
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/CBS News)

The White House briefed members of Congress for 75 minutes Tuesday on President Trump's decision to order the killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, and lawmakers emerged with mixed assessments of whether the Trump administration had made a persuasive case for the extraordinary move. There are legal and political reasons it matters if Soleimani's killing was an act of self-defense to stop an "imminent" attack or the assassination of a foreign government official.

The assessments largely broke down along party lines, though Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) memorably called it "probably the worst briefing I've seen, at least on a military issue, in the nine years I've served in the United States Senate." Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had the pithiest response. When told some lawmakers found it the "worst briefing," Pelosi quipped, "Well, there's stiff competition for that honor from this administration."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.