Swalwell blasts Trump's rhetoric as 'glorifying violence'

Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) went after former President Trump’s rhetoric, saying he is “glorifying violence” as the California Democrat expressed concerns for the safety of election workers ahead of November. 

Swalwell, a long-time Trump critic in the House, blasted Trump’s rhetoric on the social media platform Truth Social and his constant attacks aimed towards judges and those involved in his civil and criminal cases. 

“We’re still a country that’s armed to the teeth, right? I know the most dangerous people have access to the most dangerous weapons in this country,” the California Democrat said during his Saturday appearance on MSNBC “The Weekend.” 

Swalwell, who served as the House manager in Trump's second impeachment trial, criticized the former president for sharing a video that contained the photo of President Biden being tied in the back of a truck. 

“The violent rhetoric, is we saw, you know, just yesterday from the former president’s, you know, Truth account, where he’s glorifying violence continues to go up.” 

Trump has continued attacks on judges in recent days which prompted Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing his hush money case, to place a gag order. 

Swalwell said he is “very concerned” for the safety of not just election workers, but investigators who are tasked with probing the threats directed at those employees. 

“And one part of this that really concerns me is that the Department of Justice, you know, who is charged with investigating these threats, they are overwhelmed because the investigators are being threatened,” he said. “So the people who would be typically investigating someone who’s threatening an elected official, you know, or a poll worker, that FBI official, that U.S. attorney is also being threatened.” 

“So this is just an attempt, as I said, to overwhelm the system,” he said on Saturday. “And that makes me very nervous seven months out.”