Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California condemned President Donald Trump’s Tuesday morning tweet attacking Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, calling it “ugly and suggestive.”
“It’s beneath the office of the presidency for him to conduct himself that way,” Swalwell told CNN.
At 8:03 a.m., the President tweeted: “Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!”
Swalwell took issue with Trump’s tweet, saying, “We all know what he was trying to say.” Swalwell did not elaborate in detail but noted that the President “put ‘begging’ in quotes.”
Gillibrand on Monday called on Trump to resign over allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
“President Trump has committed assault, according to these women, and those are very credible allegations of misconduct and criminal activity, and he should be fully investigated. and he should resign,” Gillibrand told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview.
“These allegations are credible, they are numerous. I’ve heard these women’s testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking,” said Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York.
‘There is a reckoning happening’
At least 15 women have come forward with a wide range of accusations against Trump, ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. Thirteen women say Trump attacked them directly, and two others say they witnessed behavior that made them uncomfortable. All the alleged incidents date to before Trump became President.
Trump has vehemently denied all of the allegations.
Swalwell stopped short of calling for Trump’s resignation but said he stands with the 56 congresswomen calling for the House Oversight Committee to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against the President.
“I think we should understand the facts, that there is a reckoning happening in this country, different than what was occurring when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape was dropped,” Swalwell said, referring to the 2005 recording in which Trump can be heard telling Billy Bush that women let you “do anything” to them if you are a “star.”
Added Swalwell on the latest Trump allegations: “Those women came forward, and I do think those women should be heard through that process.”
