“It’s Rare to See the President This Rattled”: Trump Reportedly Shaken by Leak on Iran Strike Effectiveness

Donald Trump is reportedly “rattled” by a damaging internal leak suggesting that his recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities may not have been as successful as he claimed, according to Politico.

The report describes the former president as visibly shaken, a rare occurrence even for someone known for fiery pushback against media narratives. “Here’s the thing: It’s rare to see the president this rattled by a negative story about his administration,” the outlet noted. “Obviously Trump goes after the media all the time, but it mostly feels performative these days — and maybe it always did. This is different.”

The leak in question involves internal U.S. intelligence assessments, suggesting that the strikes may have caused less damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure than originally touted. While the administration initially celebrated the operation as a major success, the internal reports appear to contradict that version of events.

In response, Trump launched a full-scale media offensive. According to Politico, “The president posted 21 times on Truth Social yesterday about the supposed success of his military strikes.” At a NATO summit—designed to showcase a major international defense achievement—Trump instead used much of his time doubling down on his claims about Iran, repeatedly insisting that targeted sites were “obliterated.”

“What’s going on?” the report asks, highlighting the confusion among observers.

“Critics see a president spooked by a bombshell leak that has undermined his authority,” the outlet continues. “Supporters say Trump is genuinely outraged by what he claims is false reporting and wants the record corrected.”

In the wake of the leak, Trump has relied heavily on allies to back his narrative, deploying figures like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to publicly affirm the operation’s success. He has also taken aim at journalists and outlets responsible for reporting the leaked intelligence, portraying them as undermining the military.

“He’s using every tool in his arsenal to push back hard,” Politico reports, noting the “hammer-like repetition” of his talking points and coordinated messaging from U.S. and Israeli officials.

The article concludes with a warning: “Today things will get even more heated when we’re told that to even question whether Iran’s mountainous defenses might have held up a little better than expected is an outrageous slur on America’s armed forces.”

Whether driven by damage control or genuine outrage, Trump’s aggressive response underscores how deeply the leak has rattled his administration.

Read the full report here.