Swalwell Doubles Down, Claims To Be In Talks With ‘Seditious’ Military Personnel

California gubernatorial hopeful Eric Swalwell is leaning on a stunning claim as he fights for relevance back home, saying members of the U.S. military are quietly positioning themselves as a “check” on President Donald Trump.

Swalwell made the eyebrow-raising assertion on Don Lemon’s show Monday while trying to defend a controversial video featuring six Democratic lawmakers urging troops to “refuse illegal orders” from Trump.

The Department of War has already launched a formal review into Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain who appeared in the video, announcing on X that it is probing possible misconduct.

Swalwell insisted the Trump administration “told on” itself by investigating Kelly and used the moment to reveal what he claims he’s hearing directly from the ranks.

“What gives me hope, and I talk to service members all the time. They tell me that I don’t appreciate enough and the public doesn’t appreciate enough that while Congress is not a check on the president anymore, and the judiciary at the Supreme Court is hardly a check, military members have told me, ‘We can be a check,’” Swalwell said.

REPORT: Eric Swalwell Could Be Disqualified From Running For California Governor

Rep. Eric Swalwell speaking on CNN. Swalwell is infamous for falling victim to an alleged honeypot scheme.

“They’re essentially saying, ‘We’re not going to betray our oath to the Constitution because this guy tells us to.’ While it’s not codified that way — they’re not a branch of government on their own — their honor and integrity might just save us.”

He also agreed with Lemon’s claim that the Trump team, and by extension Republicans, are now signaling to troops that they should “ignore the Constitution.”

“To me, the only reason you’d go after Mark Kelly if he’s telling soldiers, ‘You don’t have to follow an unlawful order’ — and they don’t — is if you intend to carry out unlawful orders,” Swalwell said. “If you don’t intend to carry out unlawful orders, why do you care that somebody would say that?”

The same day, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., appeared on CNN and warned troops that going after Kelly would carry a price.

“Donald Trump is going to be gone in a couple of years,” Gallego said. “And if you’re part of the military that is going after sitting senators, sitting members of Congress and part of the weaponization of government, there will be consequences, without a doubt.”

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