‘It was a good decision’: Top Dems praise Swalwell decision to resign from Congress

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he plans to resign from Congress following allegations of sexual misconduct, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision.

Republicans, meanwhile, are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday, with Swalwell’s resignation coming just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign.

Swalwell said in a statement Monday that he was “deeply sorry” to his family, staff and constituents for his “mistakes” but remained stubborn in calling the allegations of sexual harassment and harassment against him “false.”

“I am aware of efforts to seek immediate expulsion against me and other members,” Swalwell said in his announcement. he said. “It is wrong to expel anyone from Congress without due process just days after an allegation is made. But it is also wrong for my constituents to remove me from my duties. That is why I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

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“It was a good decision,” added Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., when asked about Swalwell’s resignation. “You don’t have to be a rocket science expert to understand this. What is being alleged is horrific.”

Sen. Alex Padilla of California reportedly told CNN he thought Swalwell made the right decision.

Swalwell’s decision to resign prevents Democrats from having to vote on a controversial resolution to expel Swalwell, which is expected to happen if Swalwell does not resign.

“With a criminal investigation in the works, this move would eliminate the need to immediately answer questions that could pose legal hazards in an ethics investigation,” said Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University professor and Fox News legal analyst. he said. “Few defense attorneys enjoy having their client respond to an open-ended ethics investigation when the outcome is likely to be dismissal.”

When asked if she wanted Swalwell to resign, Pelosi reportedly responded, “Oh, I guess it was his decision. I think it was a smart decision to make,” according to Politico.

Additionally, Politico noted that Pelosi responded “none” when asked if she had any prior knowledge of the sexual misconduct allegations. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend and colleague of Arizona’s who has faced criticism for defending him, said he had “no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell” moments before Swalwell’s resignation.

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Warren, who ran against Swalwell during the duo’s presidential bid, said she was “pleased with it.” [Swalwell] “It will disappear,” he says, adding: “People who have power and authority over others must be held accountable when they take advantage of that position.”

An hour after Swalwell announced he would resign, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, one of Swalwell’s colleagues in the House, followed suit and announced that he, too, was resigning amid sexual harassment allegations.

“To everything there is a season and God has a plan for all of us. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will announce my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said.

Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., are implicated in the accusers’ sexual harassment allegations. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Gonzalez announced last month that he would not run for reelection, so it’s unclear what might change. If Gonzalez and Swalwell leave tomorrow, the gap between Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives will not change.

Republicans’ reaction to Swalwell’s resignation on Monday mirrored the praise from Democrats. Steve Hilton, the leading Republican in the California governor’s race, also criticized “career politicians” for letting Swalwell “get away with it.”

“Of course, Eric Swalwell had to drop out of the race for governor of California. The question is, why was he in this race knowing all this was going on?” Hilton told Fox News Digital.

“It’s the first smart thing he did,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., adding that Gonzales “should have followed his lead” just before doing so.

“Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. But don’t you dare say there wasn’t a reason for you to be expelled, because there certainly was,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said after Swalwell announced he would resign. he said. “He made the right decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation. From what I’ve heard, he could go to jail.”

Representative Swalwell plays pool basketball during the government shutdown in 2025. (Eric Swalwell via X)

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Other Republicans have questioned how much Democrats knew about the sexual harassment allegations against Swalwell before they became public.

John Ashbrook, co-host of the “Ruthless” podcast, told Fox News Digital: “Mainstream media won’t attack a Democrat unless it helps a separate Democrat. That’s axiomatic. The Swalwell episode proves that monochromatically.” “Neither of them would have said a word if it didn’t jeopardize their party’s ability to keep the Governor of California’s mansion.”

“Eric Swalwell should have been removed from Congress long ago, but Democrats rallied around him again and again, even after it was revealed that he had been captured by a Chinese spy,” added Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy. “The question for Democrats close to him is what they knew, when they knew it, and will they question then-Speaker Pelosi’s decision on Swalwell’s committee assignments?”

Hilton echoed Bednar’s questions about how much top Democrats know.

Hilton told Fox News Digital: “The machine politicians and unions who supported Swallwell and threw money at him knew his background. It was an open secret on Capitol Hill and in Sacramento. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, the teachers unions, the SEIU – they’re all full of it with their fake outrage and condemnation.” “California is run by corrupt Democratic elites descended into chaos, debauchery, and scandal. So the Swalwell substitutes they send to run against me in the general election, whether it’s Katie Porter or Tom Steyer, won’t be any better.”