Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), having nothing left to lose, finally decided to resign from Congress. He didn’t specify when, so stay tuned. However, he’s indicated that he’s leaving. Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX), who was already planning to leave after losing in a primary following an affair with a staffer that led to her suicide. Reps. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) are also at risk for ethics violations; Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of stealing millions from FEMA. These four were likely the target of the purge, probably the only motion with substantial bipartisan support.
So, what would have happened? Well, given what was brewing before Swalwell decided to call it quits, Democrats were scheming—what else is new—on how this could also damage Republicans. Cherfilus-McCormick is a lost cause who has been investigated, and the results were terrible. When even the most left-wing members of the caucus can’t defend her, you know she’s finished. Democrats were hoping to drag Mills and Gonzalez through the mud and were willing to sacrifice Swalwell to make that happen.
A GOP aide told @realDailyWire that “Democrats are attempting to lump together Gonzales and Mills in their censure push because their own member, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, is almost certain to face expulsion in the coming weeks.”
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) April 13, 2026
“They are content throwing Swalwell to the… https://t.co/5gy320XoHo
Bingo. Only reason Democrats discovered moral courage re: Swalwell https://t.co/nBs2vhqdgN
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 13, 2026
Politics is no longer about statecraft. It’s war by other means. It’s the organization of our animosities. We’re all in the gutter. Screw the moral high ground—winning is all that matters, no matter what. Though, as you see with Swalwell, it’s to a point.