CIA Director Ratcliffe Defends Signal Chat Amid Controversy

During a recent House Intelligence Committee hearing, CIA Director John Ratcliffe defended his agency amid scrutiny over a Signal group chat that included discussions about military strikes on Yemen's Houthis. The chat, which mistakenly included The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, raised concerns about the handling of classified information and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's alleged drinking affected his performance. Ratcliffe strongly rebuffed questions regarding Hegseth's drinking, emphasizing the importance of focusing on genuine security threats rather than personal matters. He criticized the hearing's emphasis on the Signal chat instead of pressing issues like China and Russia. Despite the controversy, Ratcliffe maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat and that its use was permissible. The incident has sparked broader discussions about the security implications of using non-government messaging platforms for sensitive communications.