2020 Dem Candidate Swalwell Under Fire After Claiming He's Just 'Another White Guy'
Representative Eric Swalwell is receiving a backlash on Twitter after saying he’s just “another white guy” during an interview.
And then blasting the statement into social media.
The California congressman and 2020 Democratic contender shared a clip of a Vice News interview on Twitter with a caption that read, “I may be ‘another white guy,’ but I know where there are gaps in my knowledge or my experience and I know when to pass the mic.”
I may be “another white guy,” but I know where there are gaps in my knowledge or my experience and I know when to pass the mic. pic.twitter.com/jMYBwF97xY
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) May 27, 2019
In the clip, a Vice News reporter asked Swalwell, “Why should another white guy be president?”
Swalwell responded by saying, “Well, a white guy who doesn’t see other identities or understand other experiences shouldn’t be president. I do.”
He went on to say that he understands that on some issues there would be “gaps” in his “knowledge” and “experience,” but he would “pass the mic to people who do have that experience.”
But that wasn’t all.
The candidate went on to reaffirm to Vice his commitment to ask a woman to serve as vice president if he became the Democratic nominee.
If Swalwell was hoping for a boost from the interview, it didn’t come.
The tweet quickly became “ratioed” – a term that is used when a tweet garners more comments than likes or shares. It is often seen as a sign of disapproval with the content of the post.
Many on Twitter saw his comment of “another white guy” as pandering.
Hard to believe that this isn’t a parody account. https://t.co/ExJPYjMPnA
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 28, 2019
Not The Onion https://t.co/yJIofWssDf
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) May 27, 2019
Hand the mic to Elizabeth or Kamala or Amy or Kirsten then https://t.co/gmHgd7s4od
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) May 28, 2019
Others were quick to point out that the candidate is polling at 0 percent in a recent Quinnipiac University poll among Democrats or Democratic-leaning voters.
I’m sorry I have to be an adult and tell you this, sir…
Your value to society is not determined by the color of your skin. You are not a “white man.” You are just a human being.
More specifically, you are a human being polling at 0% because of nonsense like this. https://t.co/1it4QfKnsR
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) May 28, 2019
Eric Swalwell, thank you for saying such stupid things. Every time you open your mouth, you scream, ‘I’m a loser’. PLEASE KEEP TALKING, YOU’RE STILL POLLING AT 0% AMONG DEMOCRATS.
— Glen Woodfin (@GlenWoodfin) May 29, 2019
You are polling at 0%
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 27, 2019
In the same poll, Swalwell has a favorable rating of just 6 percent among voters, while 77 percent of voters said they simply haven’t heard enough.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
