WATCH: Dems Try To Force 'Twitter Files' Reporter To Reveal Sources

During the hearing, Taibbi was asked by Stacey Plaskett, the ranking committee member, to reveal his sources for the documents he used as the basis for his reporting on Twitter's inner workings. However, Taibbi refused to disclose his sources, stating that the attribution for his story was sourced at Twitter.

Plaskett also asked Shellenberger if he had been contacted by Elon Musk. Shellenberger denied being contacted by Musk and stated that he was brought in to report on the topic by former New York Times journalist Bari Weiss, now of The Free Press.

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Taibbi and Shellenberger's appearance before the committee was marked by several heated exchanges with Democratic members. Plaskett referred to Taibbi as a "so-called" journalist at the outset of the hearing, prompting Taibbi to defend his journalistic credentials.

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"I've been a journalist for over 30 years," Taibbi told the committee. "Much of that time was spent at Rolling Stone magazine. Ranking member Plaskett, I'm not a 'so-called' journalist. I've won the National Magazine Award, the I.F. Stone award for independent journalism, and I've written 10 books, including four New York Times bestsellers."

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During the hearing, Texas Democrat Sylvia Garcia also questioned Taibbi about the date when Musk approached him regarding the Twitter Files. However, Taibbi declined to provide a specific date and reiterated that he would not reveal his sources.

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"It's a question of sourcing, and I'm a journalist," Taibbi said. "I don't give up my sources." Garcia continued to press Taibbi on the issue, stating that if he could not provide a date, then the only logical conclusion was that Musk was, in fact, his source. "Well, you're free to conclude that," Taibbi replied.

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The exchange between Garcia and Taibbi was interrupted by Ohio's Jim Jordan, the committee chair, who accused the Democrats of getting journalists to expose their sources.

"The fact that Democrats are pressuring him to do so is such a violation of the first amendment," Jordan said.

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Throughout the hearing, Taibbi and Shellenberger stood firm in their refusal to reveal their sources, citing their duty as journalists to protect them.

"I'm not going to reveal my sources, and I'm not going to be intimidated by anyone," Taibbi said.

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Shellenberger echoed Taibbi's sentiments, stating that he was brought in to do reporting on the topic by Bari Weiss and that he did not receive any information from Elon Musk.

Despite the Democrats' attempts to extract information from Taibbi and Shellenberger, the two journalists remained steadfast in their refusal to reveal their sources, citing the importance of protecting whistleblowers and sources in journalism.