“I’m deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in a statement posted on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The announcement comes as the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation, preempting a potential expulsion effort that had gained traction, including support from Sen. Ruben Gallego, a former ally in his gubernatorial bid.

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell continued. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

The accusations stem from reports by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN last week, in which four women alleged sexual misconduct. One former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her in 2024 while she was intoxicated in New York City — the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it had opened an investigation into that allegation.

Swalwell’s fall was swift following the Chronicle and CNN reports; several current and former Democratic colleagues, including Nancy Pelosi, called for him to end his gubernatorial run, while staffers from his congressional and campaign offices issued a statement in support of his accusers on Saturday. By Sunday, several D.C. insiders said they had heard about his conduct, with one calling it an “open secret” in Washington.

How Swalwell’s seat will be filled was not immediately clear, though an announcement is expected from Gov. Gavin Newsom once Swalwell formally steps down.

Swalwell’s sudden departure throws the California governor’s race into turmoil — he had been projected as a frontrunner in a crowded field of Democrats who now run the risk of splitting the vote in the state’s open primary, which could potentially mean two Republicans could move on to the Nov. 3 election.

The post Eric Swalwell to Resign From Congress Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations: ‘I Must Take Responsibility’ appeared first on TheWrap.

“It wasn’t a depiction,” Trump told reporters Monday, adding that he posted the photo himself. In the image, Trump is wearing a white tunic with a red garment around his shoulders, mirroring traditional depictions of Jesus. The image also shows him seemingly healing an ill man with his hands.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross. There’s a Red Cross worker, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,” Trump said. “I just heard about it and I said, ‘How did they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

Watch the clip below.

Trump’s remarks come after he once again caused a stir online by posting and then deleting a meme of himself as Jesus Christ on Sunday on Truth Social.

It didn’t take long for Trump to be criticized online, with many calling the move “blasphemy.”

“I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy,” Megan Basham, a conservative Christian writer and commentator, wrote on X. “But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”

This all comes after Trump tried to diss Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social on Sunday by calling him “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy,” adding that he is not a “big fan” of him after the pope criticized Trump’s Iran war.

None of it phased the pope though, as he said he has “no fear” of Trump or his administration.

You can watch Trump’s full commentary in the video above.

The post Trump Responds to Backlash Over Meme Depicting Him as Jesus: ‘I Thought It Was Me as a Doctor’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“He’s found the joy of ordering our military to go do things that give him a lot of dopamine, I guess, when he’s in the Situation Room watching them take out Maduro from Venezuela or attack Iran,” Clinton told “Morning Joe” hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough about the president. “I just worry that he’s going to become more reckless.”

“This is a call to Congress, including the Republicans, to step up and do your Constitutional duty,” Clinton continued. “Rein in this president before he causes absolutely irreparable damage to our country, to our military standing, to our authority and leadership. Do not let him continue to be a rogue player in the international arena, because I fear he will get more reckless.”

While Clinton said she supported Trump’s bombing strikes on Iran last year, she slammed his current, “incoherent” war against the Middle East country.

“We’re in a situation now where we are weak, where we essentially have lost the leverage and initiative that we had,” Clinton explained, referencing Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. “I worry that the United States is now in a very weak position vis-a-vis Iran, which should be the outlier, should be on the back foot and should be the one held to account.”

You can watch the full “Morning Joe” segment yourself below.

During her “Morning Joe” interview this week, Clinton also condemned Trump’s “unhinged” threats against Iran last week, which drew backlash from prominent members of both the Left and the Right. The former Secretary of State said that it is up to Americans and their elected representatives to hold leaders accountable “for what they say as well as what they do.”

“Words, especially from an American president, have real consequences, and when you look at the last week of unhinged rants coming from Trump’s social media account, it’s just disgraceful,” Clinton said. “Accountability is a very broad concept. It’s not just about holding people accountable for the crimes that they’ve committed, maybe the bribes that they’ve taken, the kind of unaccountable power they’ve exercised. It’s also about holding them to a standard.”

“It’s not just about the laws we pass, but the norms that we follow, all of which have been broken by this president,” Clinton continued. “I read those [posts] like, I think, I hope the majority of Americans, both shaking my head and really just feeling sick at heart that we have a president who is such a disgrace.”

The post ‘Morning Joe’: Hillary Clinton Calls on Congress to Rein In Trump Before He Causes ‘Irreparable Damage’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“Those people, though, do have considerable social followings. How big of an issue do you take this to be for the Republican base?” Heinrich asked Shapiro of Carlson and Kelly, who have each voiced a lack of support for Trump’s war in Iran.

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“I don’t think it’s a major issue for the Republican base,” Shapiro said. “I think the president is exactly right to call this out for what it is, which is people who have fringe audiences — large numbers, but fringe audiences in terms of the broader overall Republican audiences. Multiple polls have shown over the course of the  last month and a half that the president has 80-90% support inside the Republican party for his actions in Iran.”

Shapiro also insisted that a recent survey from J.L. Partners that shows only 6% of Republicans support the pair backs up his claim.

“I think the idea that these folks are going to be able to undermine broad scale support for a war that will reach its terminus sometime in the next couple of months, I think that’s insane,” he continued. “I think the idea that these folks are going to be able to undermine broad scale support for a war that will reach its terminus sometime in the next couple of months, I think that’s insane.”

Elsehwhere in the interview, Shapiro insisted that people who claim Trump has changed his narrative on Iran need to “touch grass.”

“I mean, obviously, I think that the algorithmic disconnect is quite real. You see it particularly on X, but you also see it on TikTok and other social media. People need to touch grass. Go talk to the people you go to church with and what you will find out is that most of those people agree with the President of the United States, the vast majority of conservatives have agreed for 50 years that the Iranian regime is a threat to the United States, to its allies, to the region and to the world,” Shaprio said. “And this President is making the bravest foreign policy move of my lifetime and actually keeping a promise that he may back in 1980, that he would take on the Iranian regime if ever he got the power.”

Carlson recently described Trump’s writing “Praise be to Allah” in his broadly threatening Truth Social messages as “evil.”

“A lot of his positions are the right positions, but you cannot support that,” he said. “That is evil. That is an intentional desecration of beauty and truth, which is the definition of evil.”

In March Kelly said she worries Trump will destroy what the Republican party has built in recent years.

“We seem to have a new goal in ending this war, which is, we need to open the Strait of Hormuz,” Kelly said at the time. “You mean the strait that was open before we began the bombing campaign? It was open. There was no problem with the Strait of Hormuz. It was fine. The reason it’s closed is because we decided to start a war, and this is the only thing these guys can control, and they know it, and they’re doing it rather effectively.”

The post Ben Shapiro Says It’s ‘Insane’ to Suggest Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly Pushback Will Undermine Trump’s Influence | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

After Swalwell was accused of sexual misconduct and assult by four women last week in interviews cited by the Chronicle and CNN, Reps. Byron Daniels and Pramila Jayapal both called for Swalwell’s resignation on Sunday morning’s “Meet the Press.” On Saturday, Swalwell’s staffers circulated a letter saying they were “horrified” by the allegations.

By Sunday, activist Charlotte Clymer wrote that it’s “been a pretty open secret in D.C. for years that Eric Swalwell is a serial womanizer.”

“It’s sociopathic that Eric Swalwell hasn’t dropped out of the race yet – which I guess fits with the behavior he’s been accused of, for which there’s ample evidence to support,” wrote “Pod Save America” Jon Favreau on X.

Clymer also accused Swalwell of having potentially hit on hundreds, if not thousands, of women in the city.

“This is all to say that Swalwell was pretty widely known as a serial womanizer years ago, and if you’re using a bit of common sense here, you can make a reasonable distinction between a grown man who’s an inelegant horndog but still acting ethically and a grown man who treats women like disposable collectibles and leverages his position of power to ‘collect’ them,” she added.

Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko, whose wife Ally Sammarco is one of Swalwell’s accusers, has shared several messages in recent days about the Congressman.

“I wish the best for his family, and I hope he gets the help he needs. But if Eric Swalwell or his attorney makes a single statement that disparages my wife, I will be filing a lawsuit against him,” he wrote in one shared on X. “I’ve already made clear that if he believes anything I’ve said is untrue, he should sue me immediately. As he considers his next steps in the coming days, he should be very careful about what he chooses to say. He should also resign immediately.”

Sammarco later added, “I just want to make one final point tonight. A number of women received cease-and-desist letters from Eric Swalwell. My wife did not. Every woman involved, except my wife who went on the record, has remained anonymous. So here’s the question no one can ignore: how did he know who to send those letters to if they were anonymous?”

Journalist and activist Nomiki Konst said she was once approached by Swalwell.

“I showed disinterest & like many others, heard stories,” she shared on X. “Which makes me wonder why House leadership (who most certainly knew), continued to protect a member w/out looking into it. And how pathological of him to pressure and allegedly SA subordinates & think he was protected?”

Shawn VanDiver, who founded #AfghanEvac, admitted, “I owe an apology to every person I introduced to Eric Swalwell over the years. The rumors about him weren’t new. They had been circulating for a long time, and many people were aware of them.”

“I should have listened more carefully to the people who warned me,” VanDiver also wrote. “I regret not taking those concerns more seriously, and I regret the role I played in lending him credibility.”

“I am going to say this very slowly, it’s coming out that Eric Swalwell would discuss his conquests to fellow House members and former house members that he considered ‘good friends, best friends’, now here is why me saying this slowly matters, think long and hard before you deny it,” Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo wrote on X.

When asked why he didn’t report the accusations, Trujillo insisted he’s “called electeds, chief of staffs, union presidents, Dem party leaders, like literally I’ve done so much to get this out, but until a victim tells their story folks just assume I’m pushing some intense rumor.”

Retired Navy intelligence officer Travis Akers said he’s met Swalwell several times — and insisted the alleged victims should be believed. “For the sake of those women, for a nation already in turmoil, and for basic integrity in public service, Eric must immediately withdraw from the California governor’s race and resign from Congress,” Akers wrote on X. “Accountability matters to me no matter who you are, even those I have supported and stood by for years.”

The post D.C. Insiders Begin to Pile on ‘Open Secret’ of Eric Swalwell Allegations: ‘Serial Womanizer,’ ‘Sociopathic’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Coulter, who wrote the 2016 book “In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!” has waffled on her support for the president of late. After host Peter Slen asked how she felt about Trump, Coulter answered, “Not very happy with him! Not very happy at all.”

“I think this Iran war is a fiasco,” Coulter added. “I thought it from the beginning, and I think it’s hard for anyone to dispute that at this point.”

Trump’s single-minded focus on eliminating Iran’s nuclear abilities may encourage other countries to develop their own, she insisted.

“If anything, the rest of the world has gotten the message now, ‘Oh my gosh, we better get a nuke, develop a nuke, that’s our number one goal for our entire country,’ because, who is Trump’s best friend? Kim Jong-Il of North Korea,” Coulter said. “And why is that? Even though he is a much more brutal dictator, he has weapons that are capable of actually reaching the West Coast of the United States. But, ‘Oh, he has a nuke, so let’s be really nice to him.'”

Coulter criticized Trump’s claim that one of the objectives of the war was to “change the leadership” before she attacked a third supposed directive: “Now our sole objective is to open the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before he started bombing the crap out of them.”

“And not to mention, I think a lot of bad things have come out of it. I am not a pansy when it comes to war, when we need a real war. But, this was an unprovoked attack. And we are killing little girls, Peter!” she exclaimed.

“We are associated with an ally that is just wiping the crap out of civilians, pharmacies, Trump threatening to end a civilization. This is a second-term president. This is not some weird fluke that this guy got in. I think this is really diminishing our moral stature in the world, and I think a lot of us thought this from the beginning.”

The post Ann Coulter Calls for End to Iran War: ‘We Are Killing Little Girls’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Welker asked the congressmen about Swalwell and Gonzales during their separate interviews. Both men have been accused of sexual misconduct, and Swalwell has also been accused of sexual assault by former staff members.

Should the vote be introduced, “I will be voting yes on both measures,” Daniels said. “These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.”

When asked if Swalwell, who announced his candidacy for Governor of California in November, should drop out of the state’s gubernatorial race, Jayapal answerd in the affirmative.

“I’ve been very vocal on behalf of survivors of the Epstein scandal. And I think that what we are seeing now is an emergence of women across the country who have been dismissed, told to shut up, told to move on, who have been abused by men in powerful positions,” she said. “This is not a partisan issue. This cuts across party line, and it is a depravity of the way that women have been treated. And I’m just inspired by the courage and the bravery of the women who came forward. This is clearly a pattern. I’ve already called for Congressman Swalwell to drop out of the gubernatorial race. And I think we have to hold everybody accountable.”

Jayapal also affirmed she believes both of her colleagues should be voted out of the House.

“I’ve already said that I think that these charges and allegations, and the pattern of abuse — in Congressman Gonzalez’s case he actually admitted to the harassment with his staffer. This is also important for staffers across the Capitol to see that their bosses don’t get to do this to them,” she answered.

“So I do think that both of them need to step down from Congress, let these investigations happen. You know, but I think that this is very important that we believe women, and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior.”

CNN previously reported four women have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct. One of the women has claimed the Congressman raped her in 2019 and in 2024. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced last week it has opened an investigation into the women’s claims.

Gonzales has been accused of texting one former staff member and asked for nude photos; he also exchanged sexually-charged messages with congressional aide Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last year.

The post House Reps Say They’ll Vote to Expel Swalwell and Gonzales: ‘Both Gentlemen Need to go Home’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“Who’s this? I don’t recognize the number,” James Austin Johnson’s Trump asked as his phone rang in the cold open. He was then surprised to discover the unknown caller was the first lady herself (played by Chloe Fineman). “You’re calling me? That’s not a good sign,” Johnson’s Trump joked, and things did not get any better when she told him she wanted to host a press conference denying all ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

“Uh, darling, I gotta admit, this sounds a little insane,” Johnson’s Trump told his wife, before asking, “Who are you? Me?” The first lady surprised the president again when she said she did not want to just stop with Epstein.

“I thought I could also say, ‘I, Melania Trump, in no way, helped out the Gilgo Beach serial killer.’ That way no one is suspicious,” Fineman’s Melania pitched, to which Johnson’s unsettled Trump replied, “Darling, I think that’s gonna make everyone way more suspicious.”

Undeterred, Fineman’s first lady alternatively offered, “What if I announce I barely partied with Diddy? Would that help?” You can watch tonight’s “SNL” cold open yourself below.

Trump makes some urgent phone calls from the Oval Office pic.twitter.com/UtBjQYrxyo

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) April 12, 2026

The cold open itself began with Johnson’s Trump drafting his widely condemned Easter Sunday threat to Iran with the help of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (Ashley Padilla). Even Leavitt ended up expressing some concern about him ending his Truth Social threat with, “Praise be to Allah.”

“It’s a sarcastic attack on the world’s largest religion. They famously have a great sense of humor about that kind of stuff,” Johnson’s Trump explained. In response, Padilla’s Leavitt told the president, “As your press secretary, this puts me in a tough position, sir.” Trump chose to comfort Leavitt by telling her that, like ousted former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, she’s doing a “terrific job.”

As Padilla’s Leavitt walked away, Johnson’s Trump broke the “SNL” fourth wall, telling viewers, “All three of those [women] were played by Ashley. It’s an interesting detail.” The president then called Tiger Woods (Kenan Thompson), who relayed that he had checked himself into a rehab facility in Switzerland after his recent DUI car crash and, much to Trump’s annoyance, did not have any time to golf soon.

Johnson’s Trump ended the “SNL” cold open by calling Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth, who asked him if he was really negotiating with the Iranians. “Don’t worry about the negotiations. I just heard they’re going really, really bad,” the president said. “I sent in my secret weapon, [Vice President] JD Vance. After those Iranians spent 20 hours talking to JD, they said, ‘Please sir, just go back to bombing us.'”

“Keep up the good work,” Johnson’s Trump subsequently told Jost’s Hegseth. “If you think of a good reason why we went to war, could you let me know?”

The post ‘SNL’ Cold Open Roasts Melania’s ‘Insane’ Epstein Press Conference: ‘Make Everyone Way More Suspicious’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The statement followed reporting Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN detailing allegations by several women. One former staffer told the Chronicle that Swalwell raped her twice.

CNN later reported that four women had accused the congressman of sexual misconduct, including the same woman, who alleged he raped her in 2019 and again in 2024 during a trip to New York City.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it had opened an investigation into the 2024 allegation.

“As leaders of teams working for Eric Swalwell, we’re horrified by the recent reporting,” the statement said. “We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward.”

The statement described the alleged conduct as “abhorrent” and said it betrays the trust of Californians. It also sought to distance current staff from the lawmaker, saying their continued employment “should not be viewed as support” for Swalwell.

“We recognize that not everyone — in particular our junior staff — can immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk,” the statement said, adding that staff leaders have obligations to their teams and to constituents in California’s 14th Congressional District.

The statement was distributed to Politico and other outlets.

In interviews cited by the Chronicle and CNN, the former staffer alleged that Swalwell forced her to perform oral sex in a parking lot in 2019. She also told CNN she awoke to him having sex with her in a New York hotel room in 2024 after a night of heavy drinking.

The accuser said she told him to stop during the earlier encounter. “I was pushing him off of me saying ‘no,’” she told CNN.

Swalwell denied the allegations in a statement to the Chronicle, calling them false and politically motivated. “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election,” he said.

The congressman, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, faced a wave of staff departures following the reports. On Friday, Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders called on Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign in California after Friday’s bombshell report.

In a joint statement released Friday evening, the House Minority Leader, along with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, demanded “a swift investigation” into the allegations and demanded that Swalwell exit California’s race for governor.

“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor,” the statement noted. “This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously.”

The post Eric Swalwell Staffers Call for Support of Sexual Misconduct Accusers as Scandal Widens: ‘We’re Horrified’ appeared first on TheWrap.

In a joint statement released Friday evening, the House Minority Leader, along with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, demanded “a swift investigation” into the allegations and demanded that Swalwell exit California’s race for governor.

“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor,” the statement noted. “This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously.”

The message continued: “We commend the courageous women for sharing their experiences. In this and all circumstances, we must ensure that those who come forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment are heard and respected. All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable.”

Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar were not alone in their sentiment, as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also advised Swalwell to end his campaign.

“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard,” Pelosi said in a statement to media, referencing an explosive report by the San Francisco Chronicle. “As I discussed with Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

Similarly, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) publicly withdrew his endorsement of Swalwell on X Friday. “I have read the San Francisco Chronicle’s account and I am deeply distressed by its allegations,” he wrote. “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.”

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) also withdrew his endorsement of Swalwell, sharing the update in a short X post on Friday: “In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor.”

Fellow California Congressman Ro Khanna co-signed calls for an investigation, especially in the wake of the Epstein files controversy. “Meeting with Epstein survivors has taught me how much trauma survivors endure and how much courage it takes for them to speak up,” Khanna said on X. “No one in a position of power should be allowed to act above the law or with impunity. It doesn’t matter what office you hold, how wealthy you are, or which political party you align with. The same rules must apply to Eric Swalwell. There must be the appropriate law enforcement investigations and House ethics investigations. He must be held accountable. There cannot be two tiers of justice in this nation.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) slammed Swalwell in his own X post, blasting the congressman’s alleged actions as “indefensible.”

“Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” he added. “I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired. I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Swalwell, effective immediately.”

The denouncements and outcry came after four women, including an ex-staffer for Swalwell who accused him of sexual assault, alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the gubernatorial candidate, including nonconsensual touching, unsolicited explicit messages and more, in reports from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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

Swalwell denied the allegations, noting in a statement to media: “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

The post Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and More Call on Eric Swalwell to End Run for Governor After Bombshell Sexual Assault Allegations appeared first on TheWrap.