Tipsheet

Rep. Swalwell's 'Outrageous' and 'Irresponsible' Interview in Which He Calls Trump an 'Agent of Russia'

Cortney O'Brien
Cortney O'Brien  |  January 28, 2019 8:18 AM

In a recent interview for PBS Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, didn't even flinch when he called President Trump an "agent of Russia." 

"He betrayed our country and I don't say that lightly," Swalwell said. 

He doesn't say it with evidence, either, as Ms. Hoover astutely noted.

But, he provided what he thought was evidence. First, Swalwell mentioned that hushed meeting Trump had with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki over the summer, which produced no notes. Furthermore, Swalwell said, Trump "has taken us out of Syria, which is a top priority of Russia," and he wants to take the U.S. out of NATO.

Swalwell also reminded Hoover how Trump told Russia to "keep" hacking U.S. elections. Although he appeared to be joking when he said it. All those things are, Hoover noted, "circumstantial" evidence, not "hard" evidence. But Swalwell stood his ground, telling his interviewer that the evidence is "hiding in plain sight."

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Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) called the interview "outrageous."

Hoover, again challegning Swalwell's narrative, mentioned that Trump signed sanctions against Russia, to which Swalwell asserted that the president "begrudgingly" signed them only after Congress forced his hand.

The most shocking part of the interview, though, was that Swalwell kept a straight face throughout.

Oh and it wasn't his only gaffe this weekend.