Swalwell embraces role as Trump’s ‘most vocal critic’ as he launches bid to succeed Newsom as governor

As he embarks on his bid to become California’s next governor, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, embraced his most recent conflict with the Trump administration, introducing himself as the president’s “most vocal critic.”

Throughout his congressional career, highly visible clashes with President Donald Trump gave Swalwell national exposure. He appears poised to continue this momentum, repeatedly highlighting his tensions with the president as the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new investigation against him this month.

“Nancy Pelosi chose me to lead the impeachment of a corrupt president. Californians will never bend the knee,” Swalwell said. in a video published on its website.

The current governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has a term limit of 2026.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, has launched a bid to become California’s next governor. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

The DOJ has opened an investigation into Swalwell for alleged mortgage fraud and, according to NBC reports, may also be investigated for tax fraud and insurance fraud. Swalwell denies any wrongdoing.

“The only thing that surprises me is that it took him this long to come after me,” Swalwell said in a statement following the announcement of the investigation.

Swalwell first came to Congress in 2013 after serving as California’s deputy county attorney from 2006 to 2012. He briefly ran for president in 2020, but dropped out just three months after launching his bid.

In media interviews since the DOJ announced its investigation, Swalwell has embraced his role as a target of the administration.

“This is really about Donald Trump going after his political enemies. No one has been a more vocal critic than me. I have one of the last remaining lawsuits against Donald Trump for his role on January 6,” Swalwell said in an interview with MSNBC, referring to ongoing dispute on whether Trump encouraged protesters to storm the US Capitol building in 2021.

“I won’t change anything I do to stand up against Donald Trump when he stops me from fighting for Californians,” Swalwell said. “I’m not going to back down at all because of Donald Trump’s attempts to intimidate me, and it’s not working with the other colleagues he’s attacking.”

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Highly visible clashes with President Donald Trump gave Swalwell national prominence. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

In a message addressed to Swalwell signed up alongside other Democrats facing similar charges from the DOJ.

“Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and dozens more to come, I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world,” Swalwell said.

His opposition to Trump stands out even if his record in the 119th Congress is not obvious.

Notably, Swalwell has missed 16% of his votes since the start of the year, making him the 10th most absent member of the House of Representatives. He rarely breaks with the party, having voted against a Democratic majority just eight times since the session began. It also hasn’t made much of a splash when it comes to fundraising this year, bringing in a respectable but not outstanding $1.4 million through the first three quarters of 2025.

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Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, is pictured in court. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But Swalwell’s years-long record against Trump is remarkable.

As mentioned in his video, Swalwell was responsible for Trump’s impeachment in the House of Representatives in 2021 and, in addition to his trial, used his position on the House Oversight Committee to criticize the president’s policies and behavior.

“Next week, when we learn that another opponent of Donald Trump will be investigated, that will also be nonsense,” Swalwell said in an interview with CNN. “Of course, I am one of the most vocal critics of Donald Trump. I have the only lawsuit that has survived his ascension to the presidency: me and the other officers of January 6.”

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The investigation into Swalwell is in its early stages. The DOJ has not announced whether it will pursue a grand jury trial. Swalwell’s office did not respond to a request for comment.