During a House Intelligence Committee hearing on the country’s global security threats, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) pivoted the conversation to the Signal group chat controversy. He speculated whether Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s “drinking habits” were to blame.
While questioning Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe about the incident, Gomez asked if the secretary of defense had any alcoholic drinks before the chat exchange.
“The main person who was involved in this thread that a lot of people want to talk to is Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and a lot of questions were brought up regarding his drinking habits in his confirmation hearing,” Gomez said, first asking Gabbard the question. “To your knowledge, do you know whether Pete Hegseth had been drinking before he leaked classified information?”
“I don’t have any knowledge of Secretary Hegseth’s personal habits,” Gabbard responded.
Gomez then asked Ratcliffe the same question. The CIA director had a much more fiery response.
“No, I’m going to answer that,” Ratcliffe fired back. “I think that’s an offensive line of questioning. The answer is no. I find it interesting that you want to…You asked me a question? You want an answer?”
Gomez then shouted and interrupted Ratcliffe’s response. The two men engaged in a hostile exchange. The California congressman then demanded his time back.
“Director, I reclaim my time,” Gomez repeatedly shouted.
Gomez then alluded that Hegseth might have been drinking because of a clip of his previous trip to Europe at a NATO conference in February, in which he accused Hegseth of holding an alcoholic drink while speaking to the media at a press conference. Gomez claimed questions over whether Hegseth was drinking before the Signal group chat incident were “on the tops of minds of every American.”
“He stood in front of a podium in Europe, holding a drink,” Gomez said nonchalantly. “So, of course, we want to know if his performance was compromised.”
Ratcliffe responded, dismissing Gomez’s concerns and stating the conversation should stick to the original purpose of Wednesday’s House Intelligence Committee hearing.
“We’re getting questions about whether or not someone has drinking habits,” Ratcliffe replied. “And, you know, I just wish in an annual threats hearing, where the American people want to hear about threats, that’s what we would be talking about.”
