Signalgate: CIA’s Ratcliffe slams ‘offensive line of questioning’

: World Tribune; 26 March 2025; Hits: 20

by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News March 26, 2025

During a House hearing with intelligence officials on Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe excoriated a Democrat congressman who asked if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was drinking before he used the third-party messaging app Signal to share attack plans with national security officials.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California first asked the question of Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, who responded: “I don’t have any knowledge of Secretary Hegseth’s personal habits.”

Gomez directed the same question to Ratcliffe, who replied: “I think that’s an offensive line of questioning. The answer is no.”

“I yield back,” Gomez interrupted. “It’s my time, director.”

“You asked me a question. Do you want an answer?” Ratcliffe shouted. “You don’t want to focus on the good work that the CIA is doing? That the intelligence community—”

Gomez interrupted again to insist that he respects the work of the CIA.

The Democrat then alleged that Hegseth had been 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!”

Ratcliffe responded: “Was his performance compromised because of a successful strike?… you think he should accept responsibility for a successful strike to make Americans safer?”

Ratcliffe was referring to the U.S. military’s successful strike on the Iran-backed Houthis who have been terrorizing U.S. ships in the Red Sea for years.

Virginia Republican Rep. Ben Cline followed Gomez’s questioning and allowed Ratcliffe to speak without interruption.

“I appreciate that, Congressman. I guess, you know, just a general reflection here again, that, for the last two days, members of the intelligence community have been asking questions about a Signal messaging group and not asking questions — from Democrats either in the Senate or the House — on China, Russia, Iran and the real threats, that are going on the United States,” the CIA director said.

“No one’s asked me about my second day on the job here, where I lit the fuse that led to a foreign government participating with us to capture one of the senior planners of the Abbey gate bombing that killed 13 Americans,” he added, “But instead, we’re getting questions about whether or not someone has drinking habits.”

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA): Was Pete Hegseth drunk while planning the Houthi attack? We need to know if his performance is compromised

Director Ratcliffe: Was his performance compromised because of a successful strike to make Americans safer???pic.twitter.com/sbXlk1uogY

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 26, 2025