The White House made a big deal out of calling all 100 United States Senators to a briefing on increasing tensions with North Korea.  Disappointed lawmakers said the top-secret meeting revealed nothing more than you'd read in the papers.

The US government chartered several buses to bring the senators from Capitol Hill to the Executive Office Building next to the White House, a short distance that would be walkable on a nice day.  Cable news networks went live with the spectacle of senators being called to a meeting by Donald Trump.

Seriously, you couldn't have walked?

Bus

Once inside, senators were treated to the briefing hosted by Trump, who stayed for fewer than 14 minutes.  And in the end, they didn't learn anything.

Republican Bob Corker of Tennessee gave a tepid review, "What was discussed, I already knew."

Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington State said she believed Wednesday afternoon's stunt was nothing but a staged photo-op to control part of the news cycle as Trump's administration counts down to the end of its first 100 days with barely anything to show for it.  Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a decorated military pilot who lost two legs in Iraq, called it Trump's "dog and pony show".

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont anticipated Trump's superficial and self-serving intentions and didn't bother to go.  "I did not want to be part of a road-show for the White House," the independent Democratic Socialist said.  He was particularly suspicious of the fact that Senators were bused in a highly publicized convoy to the Eisenhower Office Building, rather than just use the ultra-secure "Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility" (SCIF) room in the US Capitol which was built just for top-secret briefings.

"These highly classified briefings always take place in what is called the SCIF room in the Congress," said Bernie.  "What I did not want to be, is part of a photo opportunity or a political effort on the part of the White House."