Swalwell: People Tell Me “They Want A Fighter, A Protector, But Also A Get-Sh*t-Done Approach On Lowering Prices”
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), in his first interview since announcing his run for Governor in California, appeared on MS NOW’s “The Weekend” to discuss his plans to help manage affordability issues in the state, as well as vowing to continue fighting President Donald Trump.
ANTONIA HYLTON, MS NOW: A prominent Trump antagonist, as well as a target of the president’s retribution campaign, released throwing his hat into the crowded California governor’s race. California Congressman Eric Swalwell made the official announcement on Jimmy Kimmel’s show on Thursday, promising to focus on affordability for Californians, while also vowing to continue fighting back against President Trump. This all comes as a Trump official has urged the Justice Department to investigate Swalwell over alleged tax and mortgage fraud. Is that accusation ringing any bells for you? Swalwell, like the other Democrats targeted with very similar allegations, has denied any wrongdoing. And Congressman Eric Swalwell joins us now. Congressman, welcome to the show. REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): My pleasure. Thank you. I’d only do a Sunday show if the 49ers aren’t playing, and they’re playing tomorrow night.So here I am. HYLTON: Well, we are so lucky. You are joining a very crowded field at a very chaotic time. Californians are alarmed already by the cost of living, the cost of health care. Your state is already in the president’s crosshairs with ice raids and other things, and now you’re in the crosshairs, too. So why should voters look to you to lead them right now? SWALWELL: The response over the last 72 hours has been overwhelming from Californians and also reaffirming. I’ve spent the last three days talking to fire victims in Altadena, which was ravaged by the fire. I had a town hall of over 400 Democrats in Orange County, of all places, and a long wait list of folks who were not able, unfortunately, to get in because we didn’t have the capacity at that facility. And this morning, I went to one of the largest churches in Los Angeles, and I brought Jasmine Crockett, my colleague, who causes good trouble with me, as my guest. And people are telling me they want a fighter, a protector, but also a get-sh*t-done approach on lowering prices. And that’s, frankly, why I’m running. I was a council member and a planning commissioner in a town of low income and low expectations, and we brought on affordable and market rate housing. We turned the fortunes of that city around. I graduated high school there in 1999. Twenty-five percent of us went to college. Today, because we work with builders, labor, developers, we built better schools, better facilities, and 96 percent of the kids in that school go to college. So, I’ve seen it done before. I’ve done it before. Now I want to do it in every city in our state.
