CIA Director John Ratcliffe blew up on Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez after the lawmaker asked if Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had been drinking before he and other top Trump administration officials leaked sensitive military information to Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.
During a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Wednesday, Gomez directed a question to the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, about Hegseth's sobriety on the day of the leak.
“To your knowledge, do you know whether Pete Hegseth had been drinking before he leaked classified information?" Gomez asked.
Gabbard replied that she did not have "any knowledge of Secretary Hegseth's personal habits."
That set Ratcliffe off.
“I think that’s an offensive line of questioning,” he said. “The answer is no, I find it interesting that you want to—”
Gomez interjected, reminding Ratcliffe that it was his time to speak, but the CIA director continued to shout over the congressman.
“You asked me a question. Do you want an answer?” Ratcliffe yelled. “You don’t want to focus on the good work that the CIA is doing? That the intelligence community—”
Gomez shut him down again, demanding to have his time.
Gomez: Do you know whether Pete Hegseth had been drinking before he leaked classified information?
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2025
Gabbard: I don’t have any knowledge of his personal habits.
Ratcliffe: That’s an offensive line of questioning pic.twitter.com/T5OyMvDUEg
“I reclaim my time!” Gomez yelled back. “I have huge respect for the CIA, huge respect for our men and women in uniform. But this was a question that’s on the top of minds of every American.”
Before his confirmation, Hegseth was questioned about reports that he drank frequently and heavily, allegedly sometimes while he was on the job.
Gomez pointed out claims on social media alleging that Hegseth was drinking alcohol during a NATO press conference in February.
“He stood in front of a podium in Europe holding a drink, so of course we want to know if his performance is compromised!" Gomez said.
There is no evidence that Hegseth was drinking alcohol during the press conference.
Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, also laid into Ratcliffe, pushing back on his claim that Democrats did not want to talk about the "good work" the CIA was doing.
She said she had served in classified environments during her time in the military, and said if she'd been involved in a security breach like the Signal leak, she would have resigned immediately. Houlahan further said if Hegseth had any “dignity,” he would do the same.
Democratic House Rep. Chrissy Houlahan checkmated Tulsi Gabbard who admitted to the House Intelligence Committee that it was "inadvertent leak."
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 26, 2025
Boom!!!!!!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/RbqLBBk4dT
“The fact that we’re having to have these conversations now means that I can’t ask the questions I need to ask about things like biosecurity,” she said. “So I’d like to put you in check as well, sir, because you can’t assume who I am any more than I can assume who you are.”
The hearing was held shortly after the Atlantic published screenshots of the full group chat, which included specific attack plans transmitted two hours before they were set to occur. The story was published after Trump and other officials insisted in a hearing earlier this week that none of the information included in the chat was classified.
On Wednesday, Ratcliffe continued to insist that there was no classified information included in the chats.
