Secret Assets Owners
  • Investing
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Stock
  • Editor’s Pick
Politics

CIA Director Ratcliffe hits back on Dem senator’s group chat allegations: ‘I didn’t say any of those things’

by March 25, 2025
March 25, 2025

CIA Director John Ratcliffe clashed with a Democratic senator Tuesday over the lawmaker’s description of the Trump administration’s leaked Signal chat – pushing back multiple times before snapping, ‘I didn’t say any of those things.’

The exchange between Ratcliffe and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., happened Tuesday morning during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual ‘Threats to the Homeland’ hearing. 

Much of this year’s hearing, however, centered on the extraordinary news that more than a dozen of Trump’s top national security officials, including Ratcliffe, had inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Golberg in a Signal group chat that discussed plans for a forthcoming strike on the Houthis in Yemen. 

The news was first reported by Golberg Monday, in a first-person account that sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C. 

Ratcliffe, especially, was grilled by lawmakers over the Trump administration’s use of the encrypted messaging app to exchange purported classified security information. Senators demanded to know who added Goldberg, a well-known editor and journalist, to the so-called ‘Houthi PC Small Group,’ where he remained unnoticed for several days.

Bennet asked Ratcliffe if it was his view that there was nothing wrong with the Signal thread in question, and whether he shared the view of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that the chat in question did not include any targeting information or battle sequence.

Bennet said this was in Ratcliffe’s testimony, before noting, ‘I’m a little staggered that that is your view, Director Ratcliffe.’

‘Does the CIA have any rules about [the] handling of classified information?’ he asked. ‘Yes or no?’

‘Yes,’ Ratcliffe responded. He added that he had not previously heard of Goldberg, though he acknowledged ‘clearly he was added’ to the Signal thread by someone in the group.

‘I don’t know how he was added,’ Ratcliffe said, before Bennet interrupted, asking, ‘You don’t know that the president’s national security advisor invited him to join the signal thread,’ referring to national security advisor Mike Waltz. 

‘Everybody in America knows,’ Bennet said. 

Ratcliffe said he does not use the app to share classified information, or to share targeting information.

‘And your testimony as the director of the CIA, is that it’s totally appropriate’ to conduct conversations like this on Signal, Bennet asked. ‘Is it appropriate?’

Ratcliffe began to respond, saying ‘No, that is not what I—’ before the Democratic senator cut him off. 

He then tried again, challenging Bennet: ‘Did I say it was? When did I use the word ‘appropriate’?’’

‘Clearly, ‘nothing to see here,’ is what your testimony is,’ Bennet said. ‘It was just a normal day at the CIA where we chat about this kind of stuff over Signal. In fact, it’s so normal that the last administration left it here for us.’ That’s your testimony today.’

‘No, that is not my testimony,’ Ratcliffe fired back. ‘I didn’t say any of those things that you just related, senator.’

The back-and-forth wrapped with a blistering remand from Bennet, who told Ratcliffe of the Signal chat: ‘This sloppiness, this incompetence, this disrespect for our intelligence agencies and the personnel who work for them is entirely unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment,’ he said. ‘You need to do better. You need to do better.’ 

During the hearing, other Democrats, including Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, called for Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign over the Signal chat in question.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously attempted to brush off the Signal chat, telling reporters Monday that the attacks on the Houthis discussed in the group chat ‘have been highly successful and effective.’ 

‘President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including national security advisor Mike Waltz,’ she said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
previous post
Top Dem used same app used in Atlantic scandal to set up contact with Steele dossier author
next post
Trump administration to shutter HHS’ long COVID office: report

You may also like

JONATHAN TURLEY: Justice Jackson plays pundit to dismay...

July 11, 2025

‘Nothing to stand on’: Ex-White House physician slams...

July 11, 2025

State Department to axe 1,800 employees

July 11, 2025

Biden cover-up probe heats up as another ex-White...

July 11, 2025

State Department to begin mass layoffs of about...

July 11, 2025

Duffy just got an additional job in Trump’s...

July 11, 2025

‘It will happen quickly’: State Dept poised to...

July 10, 2025

Duffy just got an additional job in Trump’s...

July 10, 2025

Jackson defends controversial, fiery SCOTUS dissents as telling...

July 10, 2025

SCOOP: Sen Ron Johnson readies subpoenas for FBI,...

July 10, 2025
Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get Premium Articles For Free


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Recent Posts

  • JONATHAN TURLEY: Justice Jackson plays pundit to dismay of SCOTUS colleagues

    July 11, 2025
  • ‘Nothing to stand on’: Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling

    July 11, 2025
  • State Department to axe 1,800 employees

    July 11, 2025
  • Friday Feature: Mt. Haven Microschool

    July 11, 2025
  • Biden cover-up probe heats up as another ex-White House aide sits down with GOP

    July 11, 2025
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 SecretAssetsOwners.com All Rights Reserved.


Back To Top
Secret Assets Owners
  • Investing
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Stock
  • Editor’s Pick