President Donald Trump called Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell a “sleazebag,” following shocking allegations that came to light this week.
Trump spoke about the allegations to the Daily Mail, saying, “We’ll see what happens… He’s a sleazebag. Always has been. He’s a long timer, and he’s a bad guy. I don’t know anything about the charges, but he’s a bad guy.”
The 45-year-old California Democrat resigned from office and suspended his campaign for California Governor this week after five women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct.
“I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me,” he said in a social media statement, “but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
Lonna Drewes, one of the women who publicly identified herself, alleged that Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her so hard she thought she had died in a California hotel room in 2018.
“When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated, and I couldn’t move my arms or my body,” she alleged in a public address. “He raped me, and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness, and I thought I died.”
Lonna Drewes tearfully claimed Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her (Image: Fox News)
The Chronicle interviewed a woman who alleged that Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019, when he was her boss, and again in 2024. She said that both times she was too intoxicated to consent to sex, but did not go to the police because she was afraid she would not be believed.
On Tuesday, attorney Sara Azari released a statement Swalwell’s behalf saying he “categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him.”
Swalwell voluntarily resigned and suspended his campaign for governor
Swalwell was among a group of Democrats leading the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who has served the maximum two terms as governor of the state.
Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire financier Tom Steyer, a 2020 presidential candidate, are among other top Democrats hoping to snatch up Swalwell’s former backers as the primary nears with no clear front-runner, the AP reported.
Swalwell’s former colleague, Rep Sam Liccardo spoke out about the allegations, saying to ABC 7, “Rumors about that were going on for many, many years, and you can’t act individually on rumors, but certainly, when you have a swirl of rumors like this, it raises the question: Why wasn’t there action taken?”
Years before any of the allegations came to light, Swalwell was a prominent voice in the “#MeToo” movement. In 2018, he used the phrase “believe survivors,” and stood “100%” in support of allegations against associate justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh.
