Congressman Directly Asks Trump Intel Officials if Pete Hegseth Was Drinking While Texting in Signal Thread

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's drinking habits were brought up at a House Intelligence Committee hearing where Democrats focused on the fallout of signalgate, the use of a messaging app to discuss upcoming attacks against Yemeni Houthi rebels earlier in March.

California Rep. Jimmy Gomez was the one who brought up the issue, saying that "a lot of questions were brought up regarding his drinking habits in his confirmation hearing," and asking Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe whether they knew if Hegseth was drinking "before he leaked classified information."

"I don't have any knowledge of Secretary Hegseth's personal habits," said Gabbard. Ratcliffe was more agitated by the question, calling it offensive. The two then engaged in a shouting contest as Gomez sought to regain his time and Ratcliffe criticized him for "not wanting to focus on the good work the CIA is doing."

"I have huge respect for the CIA, the men and women in uniform, but this was a question at the top of minds of Americans. He stood in front of a podium in Europe holding a drink. Of course we want to know if his performance is compromised," Gomez added. Ratcliffe against challenged, saying the strike was "successful" and sought to make Americans "safer."

Hegseth's drinking history was a salient issue during his nomination, especially as Samantha Hegseth, his ex-wife, gave a statement to the FBI asserting Hegseth's drinking habits were a concern.

"He drinks more often than he doesn't," Samantha told investigators during a supplemental review of Hegseth's background check, CNN reported in January. Republicans rejected the notion, with most of them standing behind Hegseth, who was then confirmed to his post despite the opposition of three GOP senators.