Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on President Donald Trump to clearly state America's objectives, interests, and protection plans in the Middle East following a closed Gang of Eight briefing several hours ago, telling reporters on February 25, 2026, at around 7:15-8:15 AM UTC, "This is an extraordinarily serious time, a serious moment in the Middle East, and a serious moment for America." He added, “Perhaps we will hear that tonight — but if we don’t hear it tonight, we need to hear it very, very soon,” according to an X post by NSTRIKE1231. Warner made the remarks after joining the classified briefing with other congressional leaders. He emphasized the need for Trump to specify U.S. goals in the region amid escalating tensions, as reported in the post linked to https://x.com/NSTRIKE1231/status/2026562532429672674 during the reporting window from 7:15:37 AM to 8:15:37 AM UTC. The statement occurs hours after President Trump's State of the Union address delivered shortly before 1:45 AM UTC earlier that morning in the U.S. Capitol House chamber in Washington, D.C., where he highlighted achievements including a historic decline in the murder rate, as confirmed by a CBS News fact check shared by Acyn on X in the prior hour.
