President Donald Trump and his administration are trying to go on the offensive to defend their foreign and domestic agendas.

The two-pronged strategy is in response to Trump’s military strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend and his “one big, beautiful bill,” which faces several hurdles in Congress.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth set an assertive tone for the Trump administration on Iran on Thursday morning, hours after he and Trump returned from this year’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in the Netherlands. There, at The Hague, the president repeatedly, and sometimes unprompted, defended the strikes after the leak of a preliminary damage assessment report that indicated Tehran’s nuclear program may not have, in his own words, been “totally obliterated.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt then amplified Hegseth’s message on Iran, before underscoring the importance of Congress passing Trump’s legislative priorities ahead of the president hosting what the administration called his “one big, beautiful event.”

For political analyst Dan Schnur, “it’s hard to think of a time over the last 10 years when Trump has been as happy, as satisfied, and as confident as he is right now.”

“But he also recognizes that this intelligence report is potentially a huge vulnerability, so it’s no surprise that he’s hitting it with everything he’s got,” Schnur, the late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain‘s 2000 presidential campaign communications director, told the Washington Examiner. “If Iran stays quiet going forward, it will be the biggest political win of his presidency. So he’s especially invested in putting these doubts to rest.”

That started early Thursday with Hegseth’s press conference at the Pentagon, announced not by the Department of Defense, but by Trump on his Truth Social social media platform en route to Washington from The Hague.

“Decimating,” “obliterating,” or “destroying,” Hegseth told reporters to “choose your word,” regarding the strike’s effect on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“Let me read the bottom line here: President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success, resulting in a ceasefire agreement and the end of the 12-day war,” he said.

Hegseth was accompanied at the podium by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Razin'” Caine.

Caine was praised after a separate press conference last weekend, immediately following Trump’s strikes, for defending the operation while reserving judgment regarding its success until a battle damage assessment. On Thursday, Caine was asked whether he had been pressured to describe the president’s strikes as a success and whether he would update his evaluation.

“No, I have not and, no, I would not,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hegseth forcefully defended Trump over the strikes and criticized the news media for their coverage of them, claiming it was in reporters’ “DNA” and “blood” to undercut the president, “because you want him not to be successful.”

Hegseth went on to single out former Fox News colleague Jennifer Griffin as being among the “worst” after she asked whether he was certain Iran had not moved highly enriched uranium from its mountain-fortified nuclear enrichment facility in Fordow.

Hours after Hegseth’s press conference, Leavitt deployed a similar strategy at the White House against the news media, particularly CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand. Bertrand was one of three reporters who broke the story that the preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency was that Trump’s strikes only undermined Iran’s nuclear program for months rather than obliterating it.

“This is a reporter who has been, unfortunately, used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives,” Leavitt told reporters. “She should be ashamed of herself.”

In addition to responding to Iran-centric news of the day, Leavitt opened her briefing with the significance of Trump’s one big, beautiful bill before the president’s event that afternoon.

“Simply put, this bill is going to unlock the golden age of America, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Senate and the House to see this bill on the president’s desk for signature by Independence Day,” she said.

When asked about the administration’s two-pronged strategy, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston told the Washington Examiner, “while the fake news desperately tries to downplay President Trump’s historic achievements and discredit the courageous soldiers who successfully obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the president is steadfast in his commitment to advancing America’s interests both at home and abroad.”

“Not only is President Trump restoring stability around the world, but his one big, beautiful bill will unleash our economy, strengthen national security through the Golden Dome, and deliver significant relief for working families,” Huston continued.

While it is unclear whether the Joint Chiefs of Staff head encountered pressure from Trump over Iran, Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are clearly under pressure from the president to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act before next week’s July 4 deadline.

Trump used Thursday’s event to emphasize how the one big, beautiful bill could help people across the country, including through its proposed tax cuts by making his 2017 reductions permanent, eliminating taxes on tips, and expanding the child tax credit. A tipped food delivery driver, a barber from Arkansas, law enforcement officers, and Border Patrol agents were among the special guests invited to the White House to punctuate that point.

“According to the Council of Economic Advisors, these reforms will protect or create more than 7 million jobs, add 3.1% to economic growth, reduce taxes for the typical American by nearly 15%, and increase take-home pay for a normal family by an incredible $13,000,” Trump said. “All of these things are happening.”

There appeared to be more urgency with Trump and the White House with respect to the one big, beautiful bill on Thursday, not only because of the president’s deadline, but because of Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s rulings on its components.

MacDonough, who is responsible for implementing the Byrd Rule, has ruled that certain aspects cannot be included in the legislative package because they do not relate to the budget, as is required for it to be passed with a simple majority rather than a supermajority under the streamlined parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation.

In a blow to the GOP-led bill, MacDonough ruled on Thursday that its Medicaid provisions for provider taxes and federal funding for illegal immigrant services had to be removed.

“I know that there was a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian this morning,” Leavitt said. “Look, this is part of the process. This is part of the inner workings of the United States Senate, but the president is adamant about seeing this bill on his desk here at the White House by Independence Day.”

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She added: “I saw some senators rolling out of the Oval Office the other day, and the president remains on the phones, talking to his friends in the Senate when necessary. And when they call, he picks up the phone.”

Senators, including Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and House counterparts, such as Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), have expressed frustration with MacDonough over her rulings on the one big, beautiful bill, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reiterated his intention not to overrule her. Instead, Republicans are poised to provide MacDonough with new language and possible savings as they continue negotiations between the House and Senate versions of the bill.