It’s called the Gang of Eight. On matters of highly sensitive intelligence, eight congressional leaders — the top two members from each chamber and the Intelligence Committees — are supposed to receive special briefings and notifications, which are shared with no other lawmakers.
The process is more than just a courtesy between branches of government: the Gang of Eight briefings are an important oversight step, required by statute, ensuring a level of accountability on matters of national security.
For example, ahead of a U.S. airstrike targeting and killing Qassim Suleimani, a commander of Iran’s military forces in the Middle East, one might expect the executive branch to notify the Gang of Eight. This week, according to Democratic members of the group, that did not happen.
Donald Trump did, however, apparently let Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) know. TPM reported this morning:
While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rails against President Donald Trump for approving a fatal attack on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani without consulting Congress, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that he got a special early briefing while golfing with Trump in Florida.









