Swalwell, Who Said We Should 'Believe Survivors,' Issues Denial Saying We Shouldn't Believe Women Who Say They Survived Sex Abuse By Him
Friday was a very bad day for California gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell.
All week had been pretty bad, actually — starting with rumblings that allegations of sexual misconduct were about to drop against him and that women hadn’t come forward in some cases because they’d signed non-disclosure agreements. Swalwell’s team denied these claims as “false, outrageous” smears and said no NDAs had been signed.
Then, on Friday, the dominoes began to fall. First came a San Francisco Chronicle piece, in which one ex-staffer accused Swalwell of sexually abusing her, taking advantage of the fact that she was too inebriated to consent on multiple occasions. She had corroborating evidence of this.
This was followed by a CNN report in which more women came forward telling similar stories of sexual misconduct, also with evidence to back it up.
And, to top it all off, Politico ran a story in which they revealed that even the NDA denial was a lie; at least one staffer had signed such a form to settle an employment discrimination claim.
Throughout the day, pretty much every elected Democratic official or organization who could distance themselves from Swalwell eventually did. This included his mentor and closest ally in California politics, Sen. Adam Schiff, who said that he was “withdrawing my endorsement immediately” and called on Swalwell to withdraw from the race.
I have read the San Francisco Chronicle’s account and I am deeply distressed by its allegations. This woman was brave to come forward, and we should take her story seriously.
I am withdrawing my endorsement immediately, and believe that he should withdraw from the race. https://t.co/tdXgfl0OAt
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) April 10, 2026
To cap Friday off, Swalwell issued a late-night denial video in which the man who once told America that we should “believe survivors” during the Brett Kavanaugh hearing — where such so-called “survivors” had not a trace of the evidence Swalwell’s accusers have — said that we shouldn’t believe his survivors.
In the one-minute video — recorded, it appears, inside a hotel room with the curtains drawn, which isn’t a good look when you consider how much of Swalwell’s alleged sexual misconduct took place inside hotel rooms — the representative used the “nobody’s perfect” defense (which can usually be interpreted as “some sex happened while he was married, but it was totally consensual,” although he’s not going to tell you any of that directly) and said that the allegations that this conduct was coercive or abusive were lies.
“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations,” Swalwell began. (It’s worth noting that this also quickly was proven false; while media sources don’t generally identify alleged victims of sexual assault, one of the alleged victims and her husband were more than willing to come forward in the reply thread.)
“I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false,” he continued.
“They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have,” he claimed, contending they were only emerging because it was “the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California.”
And then we got the non-denial denial about the fact that, yes, he had intimate relations with women who were not his wife while he was married: “I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I’m a saint,” he continued. “I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past.”
However, he argued these were between him and his wife, not him and the voters of California who now had to decide whether or not strangely similar allegations of sexual misconduct should be disqualifying.
“I think you know who I am,” said Swalwell, who has all but admitted to sleeping with a Chinese spy by refusing to deny it.
“For over 20 years I have served the public — as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims,” he said. “That’s who I am and have always been.”
Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false. And I will fight them. pic.twitter.com/bQSlCquD1U
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 11, 2026
This brings up a difficult question: Who do you believe? Eric Swalwell? Or, um, Eric Swalwell?
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) April 11, 2026
That’s a toughie. Or maybe we should believe… Eric Swalwell, again?
2018. Eric Swalwell says that if Brett Kavanaugh is innocent of sexual assault, he should bring into his hearing all the people who have accused him so they can speak freely.
Swalwell also said that multiple accusers means Kavanaugh is most likely guilty.
Hey Swalwell, are you… pic.twitter.com/909Lwo9Vts
— MAZE (@mazemoore) April 6, 2026
As the social media refrain went throughout the afternoon and evening on Friday, Eric Swalwell is all about #MeToo until it’s “me, too.”
He effectively attempted to crucify Brett Kavanaugh and other Republicans on sexual abuse allegations so specious and evidence-free there wouldn’t be a prosecutor who would touch them if they were within the statute of limitations.
But on Friday, we had multiple credible, recent, and evidence-backed allegations against Eric Swalwell — who doesn’t deny sexual conduct happened, and while he was married.
And these aren’t Republican plants; notice he doesn’t even try that feint. In the one instance where the alleged victim outed herself, both she and her husband were Democratic staffers with not-inconsiderable reputations in the political world.
These are people who have everything to lose and nothing to gain when you consider the fact that this leaves the Democratic establishment with the two top-polling candidates they didn’t want to have to choose between: former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, who has personal issues of her own, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who has no experience in government. That makes it difficult to call this a Democratic op, as well. This is all Eric Swalwell.
And what’s he saying? Believe all survivors, except those who allegedly survived me. Call me cynical, but I doubt that’ll fly.
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