Ratcliffe Responds To Question About Chat App Use
A House hearing on Wednesday escalated into a heated exchange after Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) attempted to suggest that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was intoxicated during discussions involving classified military operations. The implication was swiftly and firmly dismissed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who labeled the accusation offensive and unfounded.
The controversy stems from recent claims by The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who alleged he was mistakenly added to a secure Signal group chat that included Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and others.
According to Goldberg, the group discussed operations against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. He claimed to have taken screenshots and leaked them to the media, framing the conversation as the disclosure of “war plans.”
.@RepJimmyGomez outrageously implies @SecDef was drunk during the successful Houthi strikes, going so far as to repeat a delusional (and debunked) conspiracy theory that he “stood in front of a podium in Europe holding a drink” (it was WATER).
Shame on you, Jim. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/miigymCauu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 26, 2025
The Trump administration denied the characterization and rejected the claim that any classified material had been discussed. Goldberg and colleague Shane Harris later published additional details, shifting the terminology from “war plans” to “attack plans.” The language change prompted scrutiny, weakening the credibility of the original report and reinforcing the administration’s position that no sensitive information had been exposed.
Despite a lack of supporting evidence, Rep. Gomez used the hearing to challenge Hegseth’s conduct. He asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard whether she knew if Hegseth had been drinking prior to the alleged leak. Gabbard responded that she did not. Gomez then directed the same question to CIA Director Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe responded directly: “I think that’s an offensive line of questioning. The answer is no.”
When Gomez attempted to interject and end the exchange, Ratcliffe continued, highlighting the success of recent military actions and criticizing the attempt to divert attention from national security achievements. “You don’t want to focus on the good work that the CIA is doing,” he said, before challenging Gomez’s narrative by asking if Hegseth’s conduct could be criticized given the success of the operation in question.
Gomez, unable to respond effectively, concluded with a procedural remark: “I reclaim my time.”