Politics

‘President Swalwell’: Lewandowski Mocks Congressman During Impeachment Hearing

Dome of the U.S. Capitol building. (By Diliff - Uploaded by Diliff, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=517895)

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski mocked Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s failed 2020 Democratic candidacy, calling him “President Swalwell” during Tuesday’s impeachment inquiry.

Lewandowski testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday regarding an impeachment inquiry about President Donald Trump’s potential obstruction of justice. He was told by the White House to speak about any conversation with the president or senior presidential advisers that were not mentioned in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, according to White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

Swalwell and Lewandowski got into it after the congressman repeatedly asked Lewandowski to read what was written on July 19 regarding dictated to him by President Donald Trump.

“President Swalwell, I’m happy of what I’ve written, but you’re welcome to read it if you’d like,” Lewandowski replied at one point. Swalwell dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential race July 8. He struggled to gain traction on the campaign trail and saw poll numbers that peaked at 1%.

“Would you like to read it? Are you ashamed of the words that you wrote down?” Swalwell asked.

Swalwell continued to insist that Lewandowski read the comments, asking if he wouldn’t repeat the words aloud because of “a consciousness of guilt.” Lewandowski repeatedly invited the congressman to read the words himself, at one point questioning why he was being treated differently from previous people who had testified in front of Congress on the matter.

“I have nothing to be guilty of, congressman,” Lewandowski. “Congressman, tell me why you hold me to a different standard than the previous witnesses who sat here.”

Lewandowski hit back at Hillary Clinton earlier in the hearing as well, noting that he never deleted any of his emails, as she had. Clinton deleted emails after setting up a private email server in her New York home when she was secretary of state.

The congressman, who was the first 2020 Democratic candidate to drop out of the race, eventually conceded and moved to a different line of questioning.