“Was Hegseth’s Top Aide DRUNK?” Slurred Speech Clip of Ricky Buria Sets Off Online Firestorm
A new OAN segment featuring former congressman–turned–OAN talk-show host Matt Gaetz, who recently received a Pentagon press pass, ignited a wave of online speculation Friday after viewers noticed acting Pentagon adviser Ricky Buria’s slurred speech, halting delivery, and unusually slow responses during the interview.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.
In the viral clip, Gaetz questions Buria on defense oversight and internal procedures, but the senior aide’s answers come out thick, uneven, and at times difficult to follow. Social media users quickly circulated the footage, with many asking whether Buria was ill, exhausted, or experiencing another form of impairment. Others jumped to unverified online speculation about possible intoxication — though no evidence supports that claim, and the Pentagon has not issued any explanation.
The moment lands at a time of heightened pressure inside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership team. A Pentagon watchdog report released this week found that Hegseth used the Signal app to relay details of a classified strike — directly contradicting his public assurances. Investigators also uncovered a prohibited communication setup inside a secure Pentagon facility that allowed Hegseth to interact with his personal cellphone from within a restricted zone. The arrangement was installed with assistance from senior aides, including Buria.
Buria, a former Marine officer who rose rapidly from junior assistant to Hegseth’s de facto top aide, is already central to internal reviews and congressional inquiries examining the department’s communications practices and staffing decisions.
Gaetz’s interview — and Buria’s slurred delivery — now add new public scrutiny to the situation, intensifying outside attention at a moment when Hegseth’s inner circle is under mounting pressure over judgment, stability, and protocol.
As investigations continue and the clip continues to circulate, Buria’s on-camera performance has quickly become the latest flashpoint inside a Pentagon operation already grappling with growing controversy.