At the Senate Select Committee hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) questioned President Trump’s CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard about the Trump fundraising email that was distributed last week to potential donors promising “private national security briefings” and “unfiltered updates.”
[Note: The email, which was distributed by the President’s PAC, Never Surrender, also used a photo showing Trump saluting a flag-draped coffin at last week’s dignified transfer for the first American soldiers killed in the Iran war, a political use which critics characterized as disrespectful to the deceased service members.]
Kelly asked Gabbard and Ratcliffe: “Do you think the public should be able to or supporters of the president should be able to pay and receive his private national security briefings?”
KELLY: Do you think supporters of the president should be able to pay and receive his private national security briefings?
RATCLIFFE: Regardless of what that document says, it didn’t happen
KELLY: This says, ‘unfiltered updates.’ Director Gabbard?
GABBARD: I’m not familiar… pic.twitter.com/75mlTEOPG6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026
Ratcliffe, who would presumably be among those presenting such briefings to the President, replied, “Regardless of what, I don’t know what that document is, but regardless of what it says, it didn’t happen.” He added, “The Hatch Act would prevent me, from an apolitical role, from engaging in that.”
Gabbard replied, “I’m not familiar with that document.”
Kelly replied, “It’s been made very public six days ago. We’ll get you a copy here because I agree with you, Director Ratcliffe, the Hatch Act should prevent this kind of conduct.”
According to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel: “The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.”
Note: The Hatch Act specifically excludes the President and Vice President from these restrictions, allowing them to engage in political activities while in office.