An old clip of military historian and Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson is making the rounds on social media, as he recounts a time when Fang-Fang, the infamous spy linked to Rep. Eric Swalwell, approached him after he wrote something critical of China. Hanson said it was easy to recognize her intentions, arguing that someone would have to be a “stupid, narcissistic idiot” to fall for what he described as an obvious honeypot trap.
VDH: Eric Swalwell wasn’t the only one Fang Fang approached in CA — he was just the one stupid enough to fall into the trap.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 1, 2026
"I wrote some critical things of China, and Fang Fang came to see me."
“The way she changed accents and how she was dressed, you would have to be a… pic.twitter.com/DPtVFJdpym
"I wrote some critical things about China, and Fang Fang came to see me as a consular official out of the Bay Area," Hanson said. "And I think she told me she was a political operative who monitored American politics. But when she walked into my office at the Hoover Institution, I kept the door open. I had one of my research people with me the whole time. And the way she changed accents and how she was dressed, you would have to be a stupid, narcissistic idiot to fall for that. I'm serious."
"In my case, he would say it's easier because I'm an old man," he continued. "But my point was, it was about 10 or 12 years ago. And he fell for that. And he got involved with her when he was on the House Intelligence Committee. So, end of story, with that guy...Honeypot is just a joke. Anybody could see that."
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This comes as FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly pushing to release files from a decade-old investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell’s past ties to Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who was romantically involved with Swalwell.
🚨 JUST IN: Rep. Eric Swalwell goes PANIC MODE after he realized Kash Patel is serious about releasing the Fang Fang files — a suspected Chinese SPY who had a relationship with him
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 1, 2026
"It's absurd and the WORST ABUSE!"
What happened to RELEASE THE FILES 🤣pic.twitter.com/EA1l7hBZxZ
🚨 BREAKING: Rep. Eric Swalwell is reportedly FURIOUS and PANICKING that FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing to release the files regarding the Chinese spy linked to him
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 29, 2026
Fang Fang is REALLY turning out to be a problem for Swallowell all this time later 🤣
Release it all! pic.twitter.com/8Ff1KHlSmh
While Swalwell was cleared of any wrongdoing in a House Ethics investigation in 2023, questions still remain about the full extent of Fang Fang's fundraising activities, intern placements in his office, and undisclosed personal interactions with the representative.
Swalwell, the leading Democratic candidate in California’s gubernatorial race, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Patel on March 30, demanding the FBI halt any release, citing alleged violations of the Privacy Act, First Amendment protections, and DOJ rules on election interference. His attorneys argued the move is a politically motivated attempt to smear him as a critic of Trump.
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