William Keating

“In the context of intelligence?” Rubio answered. “No, I—”

“Never heard his name, OK, thank you,” Keating interjected. “Never even heard his name, given all your years of experience and your position now, never heard the name.”

The representative blasted President Donald Trump’s appointment of Pulte, lamenting that someone without any “experience in the intelligence field” is now the “person in charge of the nation’s most closely guarded intelligence.”

He repeated the line of questioning with the case of Elias Irizarry, the recent appointment to a Pentagon team on counterterrorism, who was previously convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Rubio said the name “doesn’t ring a bell off the top.”

“I think it’s shameful the people being appointed, and I think it’s also shameful some of the people who have been retired,” Keating concluded.

As the representative began a monologue about perceived foreign policy failings by the administration, including a lack of support for Ukraine and a mishandling of operations in Iran, Rubio reminded him to “try to stay under five minutes.”

“Oh yeah, it’s not funny, Secretary,” Keating snapped back, prompting Rubio to complain that he “can’t even answer questions.”

The tension escalated further as Keating sought to reclaim his time, accusing Rubio of interrupting him and eating away at the clock. When subcommittee chairman Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) said he would not honor the request, Keating appeared stunned for several seconds before warning, “What goes around comes around.”

RUBIO TAKES ISSUE WITH ROSEN SAYING IT’S ‘EMBARASSING’ HE WASN’T INVOLVED IN IRAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

“And thank you, Mr. Chairman, for picking up my time and squandering it,” Keating jabbed after his clock ran out. “That’s not how a chairman should act.”