Don Jr calls Eric Swalwell 'national security threat' for refusing comment on whether he slept with Chinese spy
California congressman Eric Swalwell has refused to comment on whether he was in a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy because the information may be "classified", blaming President Donald J. Trump for the revelations instead.
However, Donald Trump Jr. has now described Swalwell as a "national security threat."
A Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang targeted several Bay Area Democrats, including the congressman, according to a Monday report by Axios. Swalwell reportedly cut off ties with Fang, who is allegedly an operative for China’s Ministry of State Security, in 2015, after U.S. intelligence officials privately briefed him about security concerns. Swalwell said he first became aware in July 2019 that Axios was investigating Fang's activities. This was around the time when he was concluding his ambitious bid for the Democratic presidential ticket and was a strong critic of the Trump administration.
Speaking to Politico on Tuesday, Swalwell questioned the timing of the revelations. "I’ve been a critic of the president. I’ve spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him," the California Democrat noted.
Swalwell reportedly believes that the information was leaked to target him -- despite details revealing that Fang had interacted with other current members of the House as well, including Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). The 40-year-old congressman is the most high-profile figure to be embroiled in the bombshell controversy surrounding Fang, who is said to have targeted several aspiring politicians in the Bay Area and across the country between 2011 and 2015. It's worth noting that Swalwell, aside from his position on the House Intelligence Committee, also played a key role in the House impeachment of President Trump.
"The timing feels like that should be looked at," he told Politico. "What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do. But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponize someone’s cooperation, they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do, which is to try and discredit someone."
According to the outlet, Swalwell refused to answer questions surrounding his relationship with Fang. Instead, he declared that he was not concerned that the controversy would weaken his position on the House Intelligence Committee. "As the story referenced, this goes back to the beginning of the last decade, and it’s something that congressional leadership knew about it," he added.
Fox News star Tucker Carlson revealed Tuesday night that his team had requested for comment from Swalwell's office on whether the reports of a sexual relationship with Christine Fang had any basis. However, Swalwell's office refused to respond citing national security concerns.
Trump Jr echoed Carlson's claim while appearing on his show Tuesday night, alleging that Swalwell was a "threat to national security".
"U.S. intelligence officials believe that Fang had a sexual relationship with Eric Swalwell," Carlson said Tuesday night. "We asked Swalwell's office about that directly today. His staff replied by saying that they could not comment whether Swalwell had a sexual relationship with Fang, because that information might be, quote, classified."
The President's eldest son told Carlson's show Tuesday, "I appreciate you calling out Eric Swalwell as somebody who was probably the number two recipient of these tinfoil hat brigade attacks about Russia for years."
Don Jr noted how Swalwell had called him a traitor. "I find it very ironic that he was perhaps sleeping with a Chinese spy, certainly one that had infiltrated his inner circle," he said. "And what I find even scarier is that you are one of the few people, as usual, calling balls and strikes and calling this sort of stuff out while the rest of the media remains silent."
"We shouldn't be surprised that the media being silent on this issue which is truly a national security threat while this man sits on the House Intelligence Committee," he added.