CIA director flips out on Dem lawmaker when asked if Hegseth was drunk during attack

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The hashtag #WhiskeyLeaks is trending. The issue of Hegseth's drinking is NOT going to go away
https://bsky.app/profile/realtuckfrumper.bsky.social/post/3llcalrpwfp2b

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/hegseth-drunk-2671503447

CIA Director John Ratcliffe did not take kindly to being asked if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was drunk when he was describing attack plans on Houthi rebels in an unsecured Signal chat that has now become a crisis for Donald Trump's White House.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) first asked DNI director Tulsi Gabbard if she believed Hegseth was alcoholically impaired during the chat that included top White House officials and, unfortunately for all involved, The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg.

"So one of the things we're going to look into is if what actually occurred, because the American people deserve a full accounting additionally, 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 began.

"To your knowledge do you know whether Pete Hegseth had been drinking before he leaked classified information?" he prompted Gabbard who demurred, "I don't have any knowledge of Secretary Hegseth's personal habits."

Turning to Ratcliffe he asked, "Same question: yes or no?"

"You know, no, I'm going to answer that," the CIA director tersely replied before raising his voice. "I think that's an offensive line of questioning –– the answer is no. I find it interesting that you want to know ––."

[jmbar2]

1. I seem to recall a lot of speculation on the right about VP Harris drinking

Was anyone calling that out?

[unblock]

2. "Drunk? How dare you! He was completely sober and totally meant to leak highly classified information!"

"How dare you insinuate that his gross incompetence and dereliction of duty was an accident easily explained by temporary impairment!"

[orangecrush]

24. This

[Dave Bowman]

29. Perfect! 👍

[SheltieLover]

3. OMG, a real question. Snowflakes can't handle the truth.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. In a perfect world, the town drunk would not be Sec. of Defense

[SheltieLover]

49. Absolutely!

What better way for tsf to simultaneously embarrass the US, alienate allies, & break the country go please pootin?

[sop]

4. "Alcoholically impaired"?

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Ratcliffe has a point. Was he drunk? Is there a control state for comparison? /nt

[Kid Berwyn]

13. Baseline: Shitfaced

Important information to measure behavioral changes, such as approaching sobriety or end-of-the-day blackout.

[SheltieLover]

50. This! 👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

[allegorical oracle]

23. Yeah, probably have to go back to the 1970s, 'tho. That's when "the most powerful man in

Washington," Wilbur Mills, got in a traffic accident in 1974. He was drunk, and with a stripper named Fanne Foxe. Fanne panicked when police arrived, and leaped into the Tidal Basin and was later hospitalized.

Mills was a Dem from Arkansas, had run for the presidency, and even after the accident, was re-elected with 60% of the vote. He didn't run again in 1976.

With all due respect Hegseth may have a slight further to go. But give him time...and rope.

[Hekate]

38. I remember that incident. At least it had the virtue of being funny.

Nothing is funny anymore.

[allegorical oracle]

40. Take heart. A sense of humor can help at least a bit. It's gotten me thru, fwiw. nt

[UpInArms]

6. Whiskey Pete

Such a drunken loser

[EdmondDantes_]

7. To be fair, that sounds a lot like Trump saying "lots of people say"

What evidence other than Internet rumors are there he was drunk? The problem is bad enough on its own without trying to bring in mere rumors.

[Nixie]

10. Actually it looks like the Republicans don't like their own medicine.

It’s about time Democrats don’t hold themselves to standards the Republicans don’t bother with. Kick them in the teeth, I say.

If there was a Democrat who did this with Hegseth’s drinking history, of course the republicans would bring iit up nonstop. This incident does have all the hallmarks of impaired judgment.

[Irish_Dem]

11. It is a science based question. And malpractice not to ask it.

1. This man is an admitted alcoholic.
2. He promised to get sober as part of being placed in his current job.
3. In the past he showed up to work drunk on many occasions.
4. The best predictor of present and future behavior is past behavior.
5. Lives are at risk with someone impaired at the head of the organization.
6. If questions are not asked it is the height of irresponsibility and neglect of duty.

[Hekate]

39. This, to the max

[Irish_Dem]

41. Simple science and crime scene investigation.

[Blues Heron]

14. If the shoe fits and all that, the guy has a MAJOR track record of drinking to excess and rape, so no benefit of doubt

[orangecrush]

25. There was an officer who leaked

Captain Morgan.

[dchill]

28. Well, people ARE saying...

[Midnight Writer]

42. The man pledged to quit drinking during his confirmation hearing.

He has a long history of drunken, obnoxious behavior that he himself has acknowledged.

He was removed from previous jobs for drinking on the job.

His FOXNews colleagues say he would often start drinking early in the morning before he went on air.

Why wouldn't Congress, which has oversight of him, follow upon his pledge to stop drinking?

In this case, "lots of people say" includes Hegseth himself, his friends, his co-workers, people who know him best.

[brush]

8. Russian asset Gabbard couln't remember the Signal conversation from ten days ago. Bet she remembered to let Pootie know.

And the Radcliffe refused to answer whether he thought Hegseth was drunken when he incuded classified info on the Signal thread (great trick question by Dem Rep. Gomez).

All those trump clown car appointees have apparently been coached well on how to lie without flinching.

Even so, it's clear they're lying their asses off.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Ratcliffe's angry response tells us that story. Hegseth was drunk on the signal call.

[Strelnikov_]

12. Whiskey Pete wakes up after passing out in bed

with a Russian Prostitute.

Realizes that he is late for a meeting, and due to the day long bender he has been on, did not order secure delivery of the briefing documents.

We all know the rest of the story.

Just another episode in the saga of Whiskey Pete.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. People are now referring to Pete Hegseth as "WHISKILEAKS" and now I'm sad that I didn't think of it first.

Link to tweet

[MayReasonRule]

19. Well Done!

I appreciate you!!!

[underpants]

26. 😆😆😆

As much as I love that show, we do have some Michael Scott’s running around.

[underpants]

27. Pete Kegsbreath

Saw that today on Facebook

[Mblaze]

16. Strange indeed

?si=dL5RMaxgHForFy8X

[cstanleytech]

17. Reread it folks...he actually didn't answer as the no is actually know.

"I think that's an offensive line of questioning –– the answer is know. I find it interesting that you want to know ––."

So he does know but he's shifting the conversation

[AmericaUnderSiege]

18. A traitor must be impaired to harm American national security, right?

Only explanation for putting classified material into a network with Russians on the line.

[C_U_L8R]

20. It's a fair question, given his record of abuse.

Republicans sure get all offended when you catch them redhanded doing crimes. Geez.

[NoMoreRepugs]

21. Whiskey Pete is a high functioning alcoholic if I'm reading the tea leaves correctly - just sayin'.

[markodochartaigh]

37. "High functioning"

I guess it depends on your definition. He could definitely run his dad's company. But I doubt if he could hack it as an average employee who was expected to pull his own weight at least 40 hours a week.

[Bo Zarts]

22. "A hit dog hollers." - James Carville

[magicarpet]

34. Empty metal trash cans make way more noise + racket.......

... rolling down the street than a full one does. Hegseth is an empty vessel, a man of no substance or core.

[AntiFascist]

30. LOL even if not drunk, Hog's Breath was just plain stupid and incompetent n/t

[sakabatou]

31. If he wasn't impaired, doesn't it make it worse?

[Johonny]

32. No, he is just stupid.

[Karasu]

33. They have no right to be clutching their fucking pearls. Don't want to be asked this? Don't make a fucking notorious

drunkard Secretary of Defense. Go fuck yourselves.

[jalan48]

35. Rep. Jimmy Gomez was impressive. This is how you stand up to these phonies

[markodochartaigh]

36. Hegseth's confirmation as Secretary of Defense is

quite a contrast to John Tower having his confirmation rejected.



In 1989, Tower was President George H. W. Bush's choice to become Secretary of Defense. In a stunning move, particularly since Tower was himself a former Senate colleague, the Senate rejected his nomination. The largest factors were concern about possible conflicts of interest and Tower's personal life, in particular allegations of alcohol abuse and womanizing.[16][17] The Senate vote was 47–53,[18] and it marked the first time that the Senate had rejected a Cabinet nominee of a newly elected president.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tower

[Quixote1818]

43. A very normal question any lawyer would ask in a court of law. nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

44. This is a valid question

Link to tweet

[Paladin]

45. Ratcliffe wouldn't have gone ballistic if Hegseth's drinking weren't a serious issue. (nt)

[Emile]

46. Ratcliffe replied, I can add you to my group chat

if you need more information.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

47. Hegseth is still drinking

[SheltieLover]

51. I'd like to snap their fingers off when they make these hand motions.

[Clouds Passing]

52. "You know, no, I'm going to answer that," the CIA director tersely replied before raising his voice.

“–– the answer is no.”

Wishy-washy. Shockingly a groper literally answered a question. I guess stonewalling is not his forte.