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

Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, announced he plans to resign from Congress following allegations of sexual misconduct, leading top Democrats in the U.S. Senate, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Mass., to welcome the move.

Meanwhile, Republicans are wondering what top Democrats knew before the final bullet dropped Monday with Swalwell’s resignation, just days after he suspended his campaign for California governor.

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

“I am aware of efforts to provoke an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell said in his statement. “Expelling someone from Congress without due process, within days of an allegation, is wrong. But it is also wrong for my constituents to distract me from my duties. Therefore, I intend to resign my seat in Congress.”

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Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, January 14, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“It was a good decision,” added Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., when asked about Swalwell’s resignation. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. It’s terrible – what’s been alleged.”

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

Swalwell’s decision to resign saves Democrats from having to vote on a controversial resolution to expel Swalwell, which would have had to happen had he not resigned.

“With a criminal investigation underway, this decision will avoid having to immediately answer questions in an ethics investigation that could present legal dangers,” said Jonathan Turley, professor at George Washington University and Fox News legal analyst. “Few defense attorneys would appreciate a client responding to an open-ended ethics investigation when the outcome seems likely, expulsion.”

When asked if she had called for Swalwell’s resignation, Pelosi reportedly responded, “Oh, I think it was her decision.” I think it’s a smart decision to make,” according to Politico reporter Riley Rogerson.

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

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Warren, who ran against Swalwell in both couples’ presidential bids, said she was “glad that [Swalwell] will disappear,” adding that “people who hold positions of power and authority over others must be held accountable when they take advantage of that position.”

Less than an hour after Swalwell’s announcement that he would resign, one of Swalwell’s colleagues in the House of Representatives, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, followed suit and also resigned amid similar allegations of sexual impropriety.

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

Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., have both been implicated in allegations of sexual misconduct by their accusers. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Gonzalez said last month he would not run for re-election, so it’s unclear what might change. If Gonzalez and Swalwell left tomorrow, the narrow margin in the House between Republicans and Democrats would not change.

Republican reactions to Swalwell’s resignation Monday mirrored praise from Democrats. Republican front-runner in the California gubernatorial race, Steve Hilton, 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 did he participate in it, knowing that he knew about all this?” Hilton told Fox News Digital.

“The first smart thing he did,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who added that Gonzales “needs to follow his lead” just before doing so.

“Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. However, don’t you dare say there was no reason for your expulsion, because there absolutely was,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said after Swalwell’s announcement that he would resign. “He made the right decision, but a thorough criminal investigation still needs to be conducted. From what I hear, he could go to prison.”

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

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Other Republicans have questioned what Democrats knew before the sexual misconduct allegations were made public against Swalwell.

“The mainstream media doesn’t attack a Democrat unless it helps a distinct Democrat. That’s axiomatic. The Swalwell episode proves it in technicolor,” John Ashbrook, co-host of the “Ruthless” podcast told Fox News Digital. “If he hadn’t jeopardized their party’s ability to hold on to the California governor’s mansion, none of them would have said a word.”

“Eric Swalwell should have been removed from Congress a long time ago, and yet Democrats rallied behind him time and time again, even after he was shown to have been compromised by a Chinese spy,” added Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who worked for former President Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy. “The real questions for Democrats close to him are: What did they know, when did they know it, and will they question then-Speaker Pelosi’s judgment regarding Swalwell’s committee assignments?”

Hilton echoed Bednar’s questions about what top Democrats knew.

“The politicians and the unions who supported Swalwell and threw money at him — they knew about his past. It was an open secret on Capitol Hill and in Sacramento. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, the teachers unions, the SEIU — they’re all completely full of it with their fake outrage and condemnation,” Hilton told Fox News Digital. “California is governed by a corrupt Democratic elite that is descending into chaos, corruption and scandal. That’s why the Swalwell replacements they send to run against me in the general election, whether it’s Katie Porter or Tom Steyer, won’t be any better.”