A few months ago, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) didn't blink when he called President Trump "an agent of Russia." He hadn't changed his mind as of a few days ago, when he again accused 45 of colluding with the Kremlin. He later suggested that Trump was terrified over reports that special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation was nearly finished and he was ready to release the findings.
Do we believe @realDonaldTrump when he says he "doesn't mind" if the Mueller report is released publicly? Do we believe in Santa Claus?
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) March 21, 2019
No-- even though we may want to. @CNN @OutFrontCNN pic.twitter.com/drlEhgX9Iv
Now that Mueller's Russia report is finished - sans further indictments - Swalwell is at a loss. No more indictments can only lead us to conclude that Trump did not work with Russia to win the 2016 election. Attorney General William Barr is reviewing the report and is expected to share the findings with Congress as early as this weekend.
CNN had Swalwell on as a guest again on Friday just as the report reached Barr's hands. The congressman was adamant that Congress receives the full report before Trump gets it so he doesn't have a chance to "edit" it. The president doesn't deserve it first, Swalwell argued, because he's one of the "subjects" of the investigation.
Watch Rep. Eric Swalwell have a tantrum after Mueller finds no collusion.https://t.co/fOOQivKang
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) March 22, 2019
Swalwell was not that concerned about a heavily redacted report, because, he noted, they now have subpoena power. He stressed the importance of hearing from the special counsel.
"It's my personal view the report will not be fully accepted by the American people until we hear from Bob Mueller," he said.
Despite DOJ guidelines that state a sitting president cannot be indicted, Swalwell said Trump is nowhere near out of the woods.
"I don't see how he does not have indictments waiting for him, considering he's individual 1."