Rep. Swalwell condemns Republicans as party of 'chaos'
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., slammed Republicans for 'fomenting violence' in an appearance on MSNBC.
California Congressman Eric Swalwell called Republicans "a chaos party" trying to foment "violence" in a rant Tuesday on MSNBC’s "All In with Chris Hayes."
Guest host Alicia Menendez introduced the segment by claiming, "In the 24 hours since the FBI arrived at Mar-a-Lago, we've seen an angry, sometimes and even violent reaction from the right." She asked Swalwell, "Congressman, what do you think, largely, about the right-wing reaction as a whole to the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago?"
"It’s very clear that Republicans have recognized that they can no longer win elections with votes, and so they’re leaning in hard to try to win elections with violence, and they are fomenting that violence right now," Swalwell began.
The congressman and House Intelligence Committee member suggested that Republicans are both encouraging and turning a blind eye toward political violence. "With the threats they’re making against the attorney general, with the online chatter that you continue to see, with the failure to condemn it on their side, and I see on my own social media channels, where the threats have escalated since Donald Trump’s residence was searched," he said.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens during a news conference. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"This is who they are now, they are a chaos party," he claimed.
Swalwell elaborated on so-called "chaos" from Republicans on a variety of issues, from gun rights to abortion: "Chaos is arming to the teeth most Americans with AR-15’s, and letting our children live in fear. Chaos is January 6th. Chaos is government mandated pregnancies."
He tied his rant back to the controversial FBI raid on the former president's Florida residence by claiming, "Chaos is the leaders of the party arguing we need to defund the FBI. They don’t want community, they want chaos, and that is what the fallout is going to be from this search."
Trump’s home had allegedly been under investigation related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) seeking records and materials the former president took with him from Washington, D.C., to his Mar-a-Lago estate.
FILE: President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is shown on July 10, 2019, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Earlier this year, NARA said it recovered 15 boxes of presidential records Trump took to his personal residence in Florida. Those boxes allegedly contained "classified national security information" and official correspondence between Trump and foreign heads of state.
Swalwell has had his own reported allegations of compromising U.S. intelligence.
SPEAKER PELOSI NAMES REP. SWALWELL TO RETURN TO THE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE DESPITE SPY TIES
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens during a hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee about political influence on law enforcement activity, including one who worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, in Washington, June 24, 2020. Anna Moneymaker/Pool via REUTERS (Anna Moneymaker/Pool via REUTERS)
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In 2021, House Republicans requested that FBI Director Christopher Wray hold a briefing on Swalwell's past ties to an alleged Chinese spy, requesting lawmakers be informed of the "full extent" of Chinese intelligence targeting members of Congress.
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