White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tore into Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell for his alleged connections to a Chinese spy Thursday.
McEnany made the statement days after Axios reported Swalwell’s relationship with a Chinese spy, Christine Fang. Fang has reportedly had affairs with two Democratic mayors, and Swalwell has refused to detail their relationship. McEnany argues it is hypocritical for Democrats to have accused President Donald Trump of being a Russian operative even as they were reportedly so easily duped.
@PressSec on the Swalwell/China news: “For 4 years, President Trump was accused of being a Russian operative. It’s absolutely breathtakingly remarkable that the entity that was under control of a foreign power was the Democrats, including Eric Swalwell…… 1/2
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) December 9, 2020
2/2 ……Democrats were accusing the Right of something they were doing all along. It was never Russia and the Republicans, it was the Democrats and China.”
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) December 9, 2020
Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing and argued Tuesday that the story was a hit piece orchestrated by Trump.
“I’ve been a critic of the president. I’ve spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him,” Swalwell, told Politico in an interview. “The timing feels like that should be looked at.”
U.S. intelligence reportedly believes Fang operated in the U.S. as the agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security beginning in 2011. Focused in California, she made connections with several Democratic lawmakers there, including Swalwell during his time on the city council in Dublin, California. Fang reportedly left the country in 2015. (RELATED: Alleged Chinese Spy Raised Money For Eric Swalwell, Planted Intern In His Office)
“What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do,” Swalwell told Politico. “But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponize someone’s cooperation, they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do, which is to try and discredit someone.”