Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) launched a scathing attack on his Republican colleagues during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, accusing them of undermining serious discussions on immigration with absurd conspiracy theories. Swalwell’s outrage was fueled by what he described as the GOP’s frivolous behavior online, which he believes distracts from the critical issues at hand.
“You came here expecting a serious forum,” Swalwell told the witnesses addressing immigrant-related violence. “You are serious. This issue is serious. They [Republicans] are not serious.”
Swalwell’s ire was ignited by a Monday post from the House Judiciary GOP account on X, featuring a bizarre AI-generated image of Donald Trump cuddling a duck and a house cat. This bizarre image was a reference to baseless claims made by Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who alleged that Haitian immigrants were involved in eating pets in Ohio.
Swalwell didn’t hold back: “You’d expect some seriousness, some gravitas, respect for the people who came here,” Swalwell said. “What in the hell is this?”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who chairs the committee, avoided directly addressing Swalwell’s remarks. Meanwhile, Vance capitalized on the controversy to shift the narrative toward real cases of migrant violence, a topic that GOP lawmakers amplified during the hearing.
Jordan and other Republicans repeatedly labeled Vice President Kamala Harris as the “border czar,” blaming the Biden-Harris administration for the violence affecting the families of some witnesses. This rhetoric aimed to shift the focus to the administration’s border policies, which Republicans argue are failing.
Immigration is a flashpoint in the upcoming election, with Harris lagging behind Trump on the issue. A recent Pew Research Center report highlighted that only 19 percent of Harris supporters are confident in her immigration policies, compared to 39 percent of Trump supporters who trust his approach.
Republicans pushed for stricter background checks and vetting, claiming that legal immigrants are not the issue. Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was murdered by an illegal immigrant, testified, “If they’re coming over illegally, it’s because they’re hiding something.”
Democrats countered by emphasizing that immigration issues are a bipartisan problem and that both parties have failed to take significant action over multiple administrations. Lawmakers from both sides urged witnesses and families to continue sharing their stories and pushing for effective border security to prevent further tragedies.
“Immigration doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” asserted Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.). “It’s driven by complex forces that push people from their home countries and pull them to ours.”
Watch the clip below:
LOVE THIS! Eric Swalwell just DEMOLISHED Jim Jordan and the other MAGA lunatics for their ridiculous social media antics “What the hell is this???” I couldn’t agree more, Congressman! pic.twitter.com/l7mKrEDBjJ
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) September 10, 2024
