Congressman Has Exchange With Shapiro During Hearing
Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) found himself at the center of a viral moment during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, after being taken to task by Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro. The hearing, which was intended to discuss allegations of censorship against conservative media, quickly took an unexpected turn thanks to Swalwell’s line of questioning.
Swalwell began his questioning by diverting from the hearing’s main topic, instead asking Shapiro about his stance on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. This project, a proposed set of presidential transition policies, has been a recent focus for Democrats aiming to portray conservatives and former President Donald Trump as extremists.
Swalwell’s question was straightforward: “The country in the last couple of weeks has talked about, googled Project 2025 … and you’re not going to get any censorship from me, so I just wanted to know from your perspective, I think it would help us understand, on just like a scale of 0-100 percent, how much do you support Project 2025?”
Shapiro’s response was sharp and succinct. “I think like President Trump, I haven’t looked all that deeply at Project 2025,” he replied. “But it seems that Democrats on this committee [think that] — sort of like Peter Pan and Tinkerbell — if they say Project 2025 enough, their presidential candidate becomes alive again.”
.@RepSwalwell attempts to spar with @benshapiro. It doesn't end well for China's spy guy.
FULL EXCHANGE: pic.twitter.com/Fp3R4n42Ac
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 10, 2024
Swalwell, who has previously faced scrutiny for his alleged involvement with a suspected Chinese spy named Fang Fang, continued to press Shapiro on various policy issues, including immigration, abortion, and social security. Shapiro answered each question directly, while questioning the relevance of these topics to the hearing’s focus on censorship.
The exchange reached a peak when Swalwell presented a poster with a 2018 quote from Shapiro calling homosexual activity “a sin.” Shapiro, unfazed, responded, “Yes, I’m a religious Jew. You found me out. I agree with me. Yes, that’s true.”
As Swalwell’s allotted time ended, acting Judiciary Committee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA) delivered a final blow. “The gentleman’s time is expired, and I remind him the first rule of holes: when you’re in one, stop digging,” McClintock said.
The interaction quickly gained traction on social media, with many conservatives praising Shapiro’s handling of the situation. Radio host Hugh Hewitt tweeted, “I want to @benshapiro, but his evisceration of @RepSwalwell — which didn’t even bring up Fang Fang b/c Ben is a gentleman — was like watching a Mike Tyson-Swalwell fight. Not fair at all.” Hewitt also commended Chairman McClintock for his comment, saying, “So for Chairman @RepMcClintock for sticking the dismount on Swalwell’s forehead.”
Sean Spicer, another well-known conservative voice, added, “Swalwell should have remembered that old Sean Connery line: Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.” Meanwhile, Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen simply stated, “@benshapiro is a national treasure .”