President Donald Trump has broken his silence on the collapse of former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), blasting one of his longtime political enemies after multiple sexual misconduct allegations forced Swalwell from office.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Trump sharply criticized Swalwell after the former congressman resigned and suspended his campaign for governor of California.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump said when asked about the scandal and possible investigations.
“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.”
Trump then continued his attack.
“He’s always been a bad guy, he’s a corrupt politician, and everyone knows it, so it’s happening to him, and we’ll see what happens. Right? Let him go defend himself.”
The remarks mark Trump’s first direct public comments on the scandal that has rapidly destroyed Swalwell’s political future.
Swalwell resigned from Congress this week after five women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct.
According to the report, a former staffer alleged that Swalwell raped her twice while she was intoxicated in 2019 and again in 2024. Another accuser, identified as Lonna Drewes, claimed he drugged and raped her in 2018.
Swalwell has denied wrongdoing.
He rejected the allegations while acknowledging what he called “mistakes in judgment” and apologizing to his wife, Brittany Watts.
The accusations have triggered criminal scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions.
The report states that both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have opened investigations into assault claims involving Swalwell, per the Daily Mail.
Before the scandal erupted, Swalwell was viewed as a leading Democratic candidate in the 2026 California governor’s race to succeed Gavin Newsom.
Polling from March reportedly showed him leading the crowded primary field with 17.3% support, while his campaign had raised millions of dollars.
That momentum collapsed almost overnight.
Swalwell had long been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in Washington. He accused Trump of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election and later served as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial.
Trump’s comments suggest little sympathy for a rival who spent years targeting him politically.
The story also revived attention to Swalwell’s past ties to alleged Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, though the report notes Swalwell was never charged with wrongdoing in that matter.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) removed Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee in 2023 following broader controversy.
