Eric Swalwell continued his bid to replace former Rep. Adam Kinzinger as the biggest drama queen in Congress on Wednesday when he accused him of trying to kill Kevin McCarthy by kicking him out of the House Intelligence Committee.
Swalwell (D-CA), who usually portrays himself as a tough guy or an Avengers-like superhero, took a different route at his latest press conference — as Vinnie the victim.
Democrat lawmakers accused McCarthy of “political retaliation” by removing Adam Schiff and Ilhan Omar from their committee assignments. In addition, Swalwell claims to have been inundated with death threats, whether deliberate or directed by Speaker McCarthy.
“Even though we’ve said publicly, ‘These smears are bringing death threats against us,’ they continue to do it, which leads us to believe there’s a motive behind it,” Swalwell said.
Swalwell: “Ms. Omar, myself and Mr. Schiff are receiving death threats because McCarthy continues to target and project these smears against us … leading us to believe that there is a motive behind this.” pic.twitter.com/XRqefukgQX
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 25, 2023
RELATED: McCarthy Officially Rejects Schiff & Swalwell For Intel Committee: ‘Integrity Matters’
Swalwell accuses McCarthy of deliberately trying to kill him
The “smears” Swalwell is referring to the facts behind McCarthy’s decision to pull Schiff and Swalwell from the Intel committee.
Swalwell had a well-documented relationship with a Chinese spy. The detective managed to place an intern in Swalwell’s Washington office. Some have speculated that the relationship was sexual, something the congressman has not specifically denied.
Tucker Carlson said that “US intelligence officials believe” a suspected Chinese spy “had a sexual relationship with Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell (CA)” and that Swalwell’s office could not comment on that because the information could be “classified.”pic.twitter.com/biV78uVZHB
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 9, 2020
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Schiff, meanwhile, is a notorious leaker who has repeatedly claimed to the media that he had inside knowledge on matters involving the Russian Federation, but never produced it.
He used and abused his position of power to promote false allegations against former President Donald Trump.
“Swalwell cannot get security clearance in the private sector. I’m not going to give him a government security clearance,” McCarthy said, explaining that Democrats were preparing to reject the committee’s assignments. “Schiff lied to the American public.”
If you had gotten the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have been on the Eric Swalwell committee. pic.twitter.com/2H19pezF9M
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 17, 2023
RELATED: Marjorie Taylor Green Posts FBI Photo Of Alleged Top Secret Documents Found At Mar-A-Lago After Slamming ‘Dumba**’ Eric Swalwell
Swalwell is the new AOC
Many observers and pundits could not help but mock Swalwell for his accusations against McCarthy.
National Review contributor Pradeep Shankar responded, “Swalwell is not the victim here.”
Swalwell is not the victim here. https://t.co/jRryNN1mF0
– Pradeep J. Shankar (@Neoavatara) January 25, 2023
However, in his mind, he is definitely a victim. Doesn’t that count?
Political commentator John Hawkins pointed out that “everyone famous, including politicians, gets death threats”.
“If they don’t like it, they can quit, and then get death threats while their replacements fade into anonymity,” he said.
please Everyone famous, including politicians, gets death threats. If they don’t like it, they can quit, and then receive death threats while their replacements fade into anonymity.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) January 25, 2023
“The hypocrisy here is so astonishing that it serves as yet another argument in McCarthy’s favor,” wrote Washington Examiner Executive Editor Seth Mandel.
The hypocrisy here is so astounding that it serves as another argument in McCarthy’s favor https://t.co/HnQXmJY3nl
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) January 25, 2023
If he’s so concerned about death threats, you’d think Swalwell would shrink into obscurity now that he has too much time on his hands.
Speaking of which, instead of taking that route, Swalwell issued his own threat against McCarthy.
“We will not be idle. We’re not going away,” Swalwell said. “I think he regrets giving the three of us too much time on our hands.”
Swalwell: “[McCarthy] We regret giving the three of us too much time on our hands. pic.twitter.com/eDS02NWpHo
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 25, 2023
Eric Swalwell is simply becoming the latest legislator to try to get out of the AOC, the AOC. His constant whining about death threats – which every public figure receives on a daily basis (not good, but simple. There is)- is truly something to behold.
In fact, it might even make AOC — who once accused Ted Cruz of having her ‘murder’ and admitted she was in therapy over the Capitol riots — embarrassed.
Swalwell has been publicly playing audio clips of alleged ‘death threats’ on his voicemail, which he says were the result of McCarthy telling the truth about his Chinese spy relationship.
New @SpeakerMcCarthy– Threat of induced death.
You know, Kevin, every time you lied about me – even after @WashingtonPost Gives you 4 Pinocchios for your lies – death threats like this. pic.twitter.com/BXWlNqyjyF
– Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) January 21, 2023
First, if it’s a legitimate voicemail, why not turn it over to the FBI instead of posting it on Twitter?
Second, nowhere in that call was Swalwell mentioned as a national security risk for sleeping with Chinese spies. So what part of this was “inspired” by McCarthy?
Before being kicked out of the Intel committee, Swalwell made similar reckless accusations against McCarthy.
“This is what drives these death threats. People parrot what Kevin McCarthy says when they call and make threats,” Swalwell said.
“Recently, someone said they were going to rape and kill my children, and they were using the same language that Kevin McCarthy used,” she said.
All Rep. Swalwell is saying is that he now knows how Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh feels, thanks to his own rhetoric.
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