Author: NOVA Corp

As birthright citizenship is debated in the Supreme Court, resurfaced videos of top Democrats echoing the argument of the Trump administration sparked a conservative uproar on social media.

“If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant?” Sen. Harry Reid said on the Senate floor in 1993. 

“No sane country would do that. Right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and [a] guarantee of full access to all public and social services this society provides — and that’s a lot of services.”

Reid, who served in the Senate as a Democrat for 30 years and was Senate majority leader for eight years, was speaking about the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, which he introduced. The legislation was a broad immigration reform package that included a provision to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to mothers who were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

CHINESE ELITES EXPLOITING US BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE,’ EXPERT WARNS

Reid, who died in 2021 at the age of 82, ultimately changed his tune on the legislation and said in 2018 that the bill was a “mistake.”

Many on social media quickly pointed to Reid’s lofty stature within the Democratic Party and wondered aloud why he is not labeled “racist” the same way Republicans who oppose birthright citizenship often are.

“WOW,” conservative influencer Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Senator Harry Reid, a DEMOCRAT, introduced a bill in 1993 to END birthright citizenship for illegal aliens .But if Trump wants to do it, Democrats call it ‘rAcIsT.’”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT’S BLOCKBUSTER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

“Lots of Democrats supported him,” actor Kevin Sorbo posted on X. “They change their minds to fit whatever narrative suits them. That’s why they can’t be trusted.”

“Democrats once said ‘no sane country’ would give birthright citizenship to illegal aliens,” Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, posted on X. “Now, breaking our laws is rewarded with full US citizenship and access to every government benefit. SCOTUS should END this exploitation once and for all!”

“Harry Reid was right,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X.

 Another Democrat, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein from California, also became fodder on social media in recent days over similar comments on immigration that were viewed over 8 million times after being posted by MAZE, a conservative influencer account on X. 

“Should you have a system where people can come to this country, even if they’re well-to-do?” Feinstein said in 1993. “Get on Medicaid and give birth to a baby, then go back? The answer is no! And we know that Medicaid laws are being used and abused to do just this in the state of California. I’d like to see that stop.”

The resurfaced posts come as the Trump administration argues at the Supreme Court in favor of an executive order signed on the president’s first day back in office that seeks to end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or to parents with temporary non-immigrant visas in the U.S.

The high-stakes case brought into focus more than a century of executive branch action, Supreme Court precedent, and the text of the Constitution itself — or, more specifically, the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment — which the administration argues has been misinterpreted in the more than 100 years since its passage.

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.

For those chasing the American dream, a new study has some insightful information about what it takes to attain it – along with data that might determine the best states to set down roots.

Declining marriages and broken families are crippling predominantly blue states, while red states thrive with better economic mobility, education and lower crime, according to a 2026 Family Structure Index released Tuesday by the Ohio-based Center for Christian Virtue.

In partnership with the Institute for Family Studies, the report examined three core factors: marriage rates, family stability and fertility rates. It also tracked cost of living, religious participation, family instability, and education levels, finding wide gaps across states that affect the “health and attainability of the American Dream.”

“This report should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and community leaders across the country,” CCV President Aaron Baer told Fox News Digital.

TAX AND RUN: HOW NY AND CALIFORNIA ARE BLEEDING PEOPLE AND PROSPERITY

Baer added that government programs alone “can’t replace strong families.”

“No amount of paid family leave, childcare subsidies, or social experimentation will rebuild the foundation that families provide,” he said. “If those policies were enough, states like California and New York would be leading the way. The data show otherwise. If we’re serious about reducing poverty and expanding opportunity, we need to strengthen the institutions that have always made America strong: faith, family, and economic freedom.”

The report finds that only 1 in 3 Americans believe in the American Dream.

The index clearly shows geographic divides. Red states like Utah rank first in family stability, while blue states like New Mexico trail behind.

Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states generally have higher marriage and fertility rates, according to the report.

Behind Utah, the rest of the top 5 states for family stability were Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. 

The bottom five states: Vermont, Nevada, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and New Mexico.

These differences are now impacting where people choose to live, according to the report.

South Carolina, for example, has seen marriage rates rise and its ranking on this list improve; while Hawaii has fallen as marriage rates decline and housing costs remain high.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION WARNS AMERICA ‘DANGEROUSLY CLOSE’ TO FAMILY BREAKDOWN POINT OF NO RETURN

As these pressures grow, more Americans are leaving high-cost blue states for more affordable red states.

“Strong families are the foundation of a healthy society,” Baer said in a press release. “This report shows that when family structure weakens, the effects ripple outward to our schools, our communities and our economy. But it also makes clear that this is not inevitable. There is a solution and a path forward.”

Notably, the report highlights a clear link between family structure and economic outcomes. 

States with more married parents saw lower child poverty rates, better educational outcomes, less crime and stronger economies, while those with higher shares of single-parent households face long-term challenges.

Other contributing factors also emerged. 

States with higher religious participation saw higher birth rates, while expensive housing markets are tied to lower fertility rates, according to the report. Education also plays a role as more college-educated adults are more likely to form stable families due to economic security.

Since 2000, the national index score has dropped from 100 to 87.3, signaling a decline in family structure, the report added. While marriage rates have stabilized in recent years, fertility rates continue to fall and pose lasting constraints for future generations.

However, these trends do vary across both red and blue states, according to a CCV spokesperson, who said the report “also underscores that these trends are not confined to any one region or political ideology.”

The findings have prompted calls for policy changes focusing on strengthening families and economic conditions.

NEW POLL FINDS AMERICANS LIKELY TO SEE EACH OTHER AS ‘MORALLY BAD’ — BUT EXPERT SAYS STRONG FAMILIES CAN HELP

“The lesson going forward is clear,” Baer said. “Red and blue states alike should advance policies that make housing more affordable, ensure good-paying jobs are within reach, keep taxes low, and expand access to quality education.”

Baer added this comes down to the impact of stable households. 

Stable two-parent homes are linked to higher college graduation rates and a better shot at reaching the middle class, the report said. Married adults are also about 80% less likely to live in poverty than single adults.

“Family structure is one of the strongest predictors we have for whether children and communities are thriving,” University of Virginia sociology professor and lead researcher Brad Wilcox said in a press release. “States that are doing well in this area have markedly lower levels of child poverty, as well as higher rates of economic mobility and homeownership.”

For many, economic realities have continued to fuel skepticism about the American Dream. Since 1980, fewer adults ages 25 to 54 have been able to buy homes, and only about 50% of those born in the 1980s earn more than their parents—down from 90% among those born in the 1940s.

Marriage rates fell sharply from 2000 to 2010, followed by a 17% drop over the next decade, as “upward mobility has been cut nearly in half over two generations,” the report said.

“This isn’t just about statistics,” Baer said. “It’s about real children and real futures. If we want to see our nation thrive, we have to be serious about strengthening marriage and supporting families in every community.”

If you thought the Congressional appropriations process couldn’t get any worse, I present you with 2026. And perhaps beyond.

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, running on pocket lint, nickels lost between the couch cushions and faded S&H Green Stamps (look ‘em up, kids). Congress hasn’t funded DHS for two months. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., torqued himself into a political pretzel – opposing, then supporting, then not acting on – a Senate-approved package to fund most of DHS.

As we always say, it’s about the math, and when it comes to DHS money, it appears that lawmakers have locked a box to which they lack the combination. There is apparently no sequence of votes in the House and Senate which can crack the DHS safe as a traditional, standalone appropriations bill. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY TRUMP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FORCE CONGRESS BACK OVER THE DHS SHUTDOWN

Now, Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump are turning to one of the few methods which might work to fund DHS – something called budget reconciliation.

The Congressional budget reconciliation process is not customarily used for appropriations bills – although lawmakers can plug the measure with money to spend on federal programs. However, reconciliation is inoculated from filibusters. Thus, Republicans don’t need 60 votes. They can – ostensibly – pass a DHS bill on its own without help from Democrats if they hold their narrow coalitions together in both the House and Senate.

Congressional Republicans intend to stuff this reconciliation package with only money for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Nothing for disaster aid. Nothing for farmers. Nothing about the SAVE America Act. The president agrees. The goal is to finish this by June 1 – months after the latest DHS funding lapse.

But it’s more complicated than that. 

GOP INFIGHTING REPLACES CLASH WITH DEMS, DERAILS PATH TO END HISTORIC DHS SHUTDOWN

The House and Senate must take a number of steps to approve a shell of a budget resolution in order to have the filibuster-proof reconciliation tool available to them. Republicans undertook a similar endeavor last winter and spring. It was absolutely harrowing and consumed months before finally approving the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, via reconciliation. Republicans don’t have that kind of time now. Then again, DHS has either been unfunded or held together by interim spending bills since last October.

We haven’t even mentioned how Trump is using a somewhat dubious authority to pay TSA workers and others from other funds – without Congressional approval.

That leaves some to question why the administration didn’t do this to start with. But the bigger issue is an alarming pattern of Congress ceding its most precious prerogative – the power of the purse – to the executive branch. That’s to say nothing as to whether Trump’s gambit to pay workers is even Constitutional. And, it establishes a precedent which may be hard to ignore during other funding impasses.

However, here’s the bigger problem: the Congressional paralysis to pass appropriations bills on a timely basis. That’s been an issue for years now.

Historically, Congress has missed the Oct. 1 fiscal deadline, relying on “Continuing Resolutions” (CR’s) which simply renew all funding on a temporary basis. Or, lawmakers cobble together a set of the 12 annual spending bills in a “minibus” appropriations package. Lawmakers who might oppose an individual bill are willing to support a group of bills – because there’s something in there which they like or support.

But turning to reconciliation as a way out of the appropriations box canyon is also another precedent which likely agitates Congressional appropriators. Sure. They’ve done that before. And in this instance, it might finally get DHS funded. But what does this mean for the future?

Which brings us to Oct. 1, 2026. That’s when the federal government pivots from Fiscal Year 2026 to start Fiscal Year 2027. 

Congress has struggled to fund the federal government since early 2025, when it began work on appropriations bills for this year. The FY ’26 funding crisis – which spawned the record-breaking, 43-day, government-wide shutdown in the fall, another partial government shutdown last winter and the current DHS stalemate – has been an issue since lawmakers were working on bills for this cycle around this time LAST spring. So how pray tell is Congress going to avoid a shutdown THIS autumn for FY ’27?

In fact, few are even speaking about that possible peril – because no one can wrap their heads around the present appropriations saga. And it’s possible that this fall’s problems could be worse than last fall’s impasse. The reason? The midterm elections hit in November. It’s doubtful that either side will be willing to make much of a deal right before voters head to the polls.

The scenarios are frightening to fathom, so people are just kind of ignoring them.

SEE IT: LAWMAKERS CAUGHT ON VACATION AMID RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN WHILE DHS WORKERS GO UNPAID

We have entered a new period of semi-perpetual funding standoffs – exacerbated by mistrust between the sides, narrow Congressional margins in both the House and Senate, parliamentary mathematical equations which don’t balance and an unwillingness by Trump to broker deals or even negotiate with Democrats.

Yes. They have options to cover DHS into next year, but it’s the other 11 spending bills which could be problematic.

Imagine trying to pass a defense spending bill which has a price tag 44% higher than the one last year? Or tacks a bunch of money on for the war in Iran?

Where’s the vote combination to approve a CR, let alone an individual bill? Will Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., be willing to help Republicans hit the 60 vote threshold to fund things? Especially if he sees the possibility of emerging again as Majority Leader? Probably not.

And let’s say Democrats win the House, Senate or both in the fall? Do you really think these spending standoffs get better over the final two years of Trump’s term?

Back to Chevy Chase and Clark Griswold. There’s a second part to that iconic quotation from Christmas Vacation: “We’re at the threshold of hell!” he declares.

Pretty funny, but not if you’re trying to keep the government open after the adventures of the past year. This is not hilarious to millions of federal workers who suffer from paycheck PTSD. Another round of spending mayhem could only erode further trust between federal workers and their employers. It will damage morale – which is already subterranean. That’s to say nothing of courting people to work for the government.

Yes. Things can get a lot worse. The political schisms are deep and the vote matrices to pass the bills simply don’t exist.

It may be spring, but the Christmas Vacation movie provides insight into where we stand with the Congressional appropriations bills: “It’s Christmas and we’re all in misery,” declares Ellen Griswold, played by Beverly D’Angelo.

Yeah. And wait to see what Congress has in store for THIS Christmas.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing allegations he violated immigration and employment laws to keep a live-in nanny in the U.S., including claims he paid her with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization, according to two recently filed complaints.

A complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor alleges that Swalwell and his wife, Brittany Swalwell, lied to keep their babysitter, Amanda Barbosa, employed, according to The New York Post.

In a separate complaint filed in February with the Department of Homeland Security by California filmmaker and political activist Joel Gilbert, first reported by The Post, Swalwell is accused of paying his nanny with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly did not have valid work authorization.

“Barbosa appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization,” the DHS complaint states.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Barbosa was first hired by Swalwell — who is running for California governor — in 2021 after coming to the U.S. from Brazil on an au pair visa, according to The Post.

Barbosa was paid $3,914 in campaign funds in 2021 and received $46,930 in 2022, according to Federal Election Commission data.

According to a labor certification application reviewed by The Post, Swalwell began the process of sponsoring Barbosa for a green card in December 2022 as her visa was set to expire.

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS: ‘VERY BAD LOOK’

Barbosa later enrolled at a community college and was not allowed to work off campus under student visa rules, The Post reported. However, social media photos appear to show her interacting with Swalwell’s children at family events throughout 2023 and 2024.

FEC records reviewed by the outlet show that $52,262 in campaign expenses for “childcare” were reimbursed to Swalwell, which the complaint alleges was a workaround to keep Barbosa employed while she was not authorized to work in the U.S.

The Department of Labor told The Post the labor certification was approved in 2024. In 2025, Barbosa received $38,905 in campaign funds from Swalwell, according to FEC data.

SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

The complaints surfaced as Swalwell faces separate allegations of sexual assault.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported allegations from a former staffer, and three additional women later spoke to CNN with misconduct claims.

Swalwell has denied the allegations and faced calls to drop his gubernatorial bid.

SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS ‘FANG FANG’ FILES RELEASE

“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat-out false,” Swalwell said in a video posted Friday.

“They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Swalwell’s congressional office for comment, as well as the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Election Commission.

Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vance said Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms.”

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as “substantive discussions,” but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its “red lines.”

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been “consistently.”

“I don’t know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

GEN JACK KEANE ‘SKEPTICAL’ THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL ‘DELAY AND OBFUSCATE’

“So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were negotiating for Iran. 

While Vance declined to elaborate on which terms Iran rejected, he said the U.S. sought assurances that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

The talks came over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced Saturday that she would be filing a motion to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from Congress after former staffers accused the congressman of sexual assault and misconduct.

“I am filing a motion to expel Eric Swalwell from Congress,” she wrote in a Saturday morning tweet.

The move comes after at least four female former staffers of Swalwell’s accused him of sexual impropriety. One staffer accused him of sexual assault on multiple occasions.

A former staffer told the San Francisco Chronicle that when she was 17 and Swalwell was 38 he began messaging her on the social media platform Snapchat, a messaging platform in which messages between users disappear. The woman, who the Chronicle did not identify, said Swalwell began sending her inappropriate pictures and requesting pictures of her naked body.

‘USEFUL PUPPET’: ERIC SWALWELL IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER TRAVELING TO DOHA ON SEVERAL QATAR-SPONSORED TRIPS

She also claimed that in 2024 she woke up alone in Swalwell’s hotel room after a night she did not remember with “vaginal bleeding,” according to the Chronicle.

Swalwell, who is married with children, has denied the sexual assault allegations as “false and outrageous.” His lawyer also sent a cease and desist letter to the woman, the Chronicle reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s and Luna’s offices but did not immediately receive a response.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Running in the open primary to become California’s next governor, Swalwell was ahead of all other registered Democrats, trailing only Republican Steve Hilton in the latest polling average from Real Clear Politics. That may soon change though, as the allegations have prompted a wave of calls from prominent Democrats for Swalwell to bow out.

Those calls have come from party bosses like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and from those closest to Swalwell, such as Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who retracted an earlier message of support in order to call for Swalwell to step down. Gallego, who Swalwell has referred to as a “dear friend,” initially faced backlash for defending Swalwell.

While other party members like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, pile on to the calls to drop out, very few have gone as far as calling for Swalwell to vacate his congressional seat, a fact Luna highlighted in a Saturday morning appearance on Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany.

“It is unacceptable for him to just index his, campaign for governor in California but still sit in the House of Representatives,” she told McEnany.

Luna also lambasted the Dems on X, writing, “So the Dems don’t want Swalwell to be governor of California, but he can stay a member of Congress? Are we running a halfway house for sexual predators in Congress now? No. He should not be allowed to stay in Congress.”

Luna’s motion to expel Swalwell, should she get it to the House floor, would require a two-thirds majority vote from Congress in order to pass.

President Donald Trump slammed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state on Saturday, warning her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.

Trump, in an early morning Truth Social post, said the Democratic governor had imposed a wave of taxes that he argued were draining the state’s economic strength.

“She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more,” Trump wrote. “It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!”

Trump’s comments come as Spanberger faces Republican criticism over a slate of tax and revenue proposals, with GOP lawmakers warning the measures could hurt Virginia’s business climate, while her office argues they are needed to fund key priorities.

GLENN YOUNGKIN ACCUSES GOV SPANBERGER OF ‘ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ GERRYMANDERING IN VIRGINIA MAP FIGHT

Spanberger has backed a series of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals to expand taxes on digital services and business activity, as part of a broader effort to fund priorities such as education and health care. Republicans have criticized those efforts as tax hikes that could make the state less competitive.

Trump said companies that committed to moving into Virginia under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin were now reconsidering those decisions.

“New companies that signed to come into the Commonwealth under Governor Youngkin are now looking for ways to get out — Break their Deal,” he said.

VA DEM REJECTS ‘POWER GRAB’ CLAIMS ON SPANBERGER REDISTRICTING AS GOP WARNS 10–1 MAP WOULD SPLIT RURAL VOTE

The president, who said he was heading to Virginia for meetings at Trump National Golf Club, drew comparisons to high-tax states like New York and California, which he has frequently criticized.

“We have a similar situation in New York and, most of all, in California, where Rich, Job Producing people and companies are being forced to FLEE at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote.

He added that California’s tax base was “literally disappearing” as wealthy individuals and corporations relocate, warning Virginia could face a similar trajectory.

“Remember, once people and companies leave, they are never coming back!” Trump said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.

Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the 2025 gubernatorial race, securing a Democratic win. Youngkin was not eligible for re-election under state law.

She campaigned on issues including health care and abortion rights, while positioning herself as a more moderate alternative despite GOP criticism of her voting record.

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., released a video Friday evening strongly denying the allegations of sexual assault made against him, calling the accusations “flat out false” and “absolutely false.”

Swalwell, who is the leading Democratic candidate in California’s gubernatorial race, was accused by a former female staffer of sexually assaulting her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions. The bombshell allegations, which included reports of sexual harassment against other female staffers, were reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

The unnamed female accuser reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and said he pursued her shortly after she was hired as a 21-year-old staffer in his district office — despite him being married.

“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat out false,” Swalwell said in a video on social media. “They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: ‘INDEFENSIBLE’

The alleged victim accused Swalwell of pressuring her to send naked pictures of herself, adding that he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to her. She also said he allegedly pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and asked her to perform oral sex on him.

On multiple occasions, the young staffer said she blacked out from alcohol consumption before allegedly waking up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident and their relationship faded. 

The woman said they reunited when she no longer worked for him, and another incident allegedly took place.

SWALWELL’S FORMER FEMALE STAFFER DROPS BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, EXPOSING HIMSELF: REPORT

In the video, Swalwell said he is not “perfect” or a “saint,” but his past “mistakes in judgment” are between him and his wife. He then apologized for “putting [his wife] in this position.”

He also apologized to his supporters for potentially causing them to doubt their support for him, but that apology was quickly followed with, “I think you know who I am.”

“For over 20 years, I have served the public as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims,” Swalwell said. “That’s who I am and have always been.”

The allegations have caused a handful of Swalwell’s top Democratic supporters to withdraw their endorsements of him for governor, some even encouraging him to drop out of the race entirely.

As of Saturday morning, Swalwell remains a candidate in California’s gubernatorial race.

Fox News Digital’s Alec Shemmel contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he revoked the lawful permanent resident status of family members linked to Masoumeh Ebtekar, a spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 hostage crisis.

Rubio said the individuals were placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending removal from the United States. He said the Obama administration granted visas to Ebtekar’s son and his family in 2014 and later approved green cards through the Diversity Visa Program in 2016.

“Masoumeh Ebtekar —  also known as ‘Screaming Mary’ —  was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days — subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions,” Rubio wrote on X.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing backlash on social media after it was reported that his lawyer was sending cease-and-desist letters to Swalwell’s accusers a day before multiple bombshell allegations were published on Friday.

Swalwell, who once called on lawmakers to hear out women raising allegations against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings and said they “deserve to be heard,” is now being slammed for hypocrisy.

“I saw continued demeaning of victims of sexual assault, people who deserve to be heard, people who deserve their allegations to be investigated and a president who wants to rush this through,” Swalwell said in an interview with MSNBC at the time.

“And so, for Brett Kavanaugh’s sake, if he is innocent, I hope tomorrow he opens his statement and says, ‘You know what? Bring in all the victims, all of them to be questioned.’ That will clear his name if he is indeed innocent,” Swalwell added.

SWALWELL VOWS TO MAKE ICE AGENTS ‘UN-HIRABLE’ IN CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT POSITIONS

The resurfaced clip comes as Swalwell has made efforts to downplay allegations against him as he leads a crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls in a race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is prevented by term limits from remaining in the role.

Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor and Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, took to X on Friday, saying Swalwell is “hoping that voters will apply a different standard than the one he applied to Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation.”

“When Kavanaugh was asserting his innocence, Swalwell was leading the mob,” Turley continued.

Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations in the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted “Receipt time” on X while resurfacing an old Swalwell post attacking Kavanaugh.

“Oh, how I remember this hypocritical predator peddling these utterly bullsh– allegations against Kavanaugh,” Davis said in another post.

Rumblings of sexual misconduct from Swalwell first emerged last month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a progressive political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

Swalwell’s lawyer, Elias Dabaie, reportedly sent out cease-and-desist letters to try to quell the rumors Thursday, but multiple outlets, including CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle, published bombshell reports Friday, which Swalwell later denied in a video he posted late Friday night on X.

ADAM SCHIFF MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

One of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions, according to a report published by the San Francisco Chronicle. 

The alleged victim’s story also included claims that Swalwell pressured her to send naked pictures of herself and sent sexually explicit photos of his own, pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and requested she perform oral sex on him, among other incidents the victim said affected how Swalwell treated her professionally.

The unnamed female accuser reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and revealed that he started pursuing her, despite being married, shortly after she was hired as a 21-year-old staffer in his district office.  

She also reportedly revealed that years after she worked for Swalwell, she attended an April 2024 charity event Swalwell was being honored at and reunited with him. In her account of the night, which included grabbing drinks with him after the event and later blacking out, she alleged that she remembered pushing Swalwell away and told him “no” as he allegedly tried to force her to have sex with him in his hotel room. 

The woman reportedly texted a friend after the incident telling her she had been sexually assaulted by Swalwell. Other messages reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle reportedly showed the victim indicating she had “blacked out” but “woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point.”

After the allegations went viral and top Democrats called for him to drop out of the California gubernatorial race, Swalwell said in a video message on X that the “sexual assault allegations are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened and I will fight them with everything that I have.”

“I’ve certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife and to her- I apologize deeply for putting her in this position,” Swalwell continued.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said earlier this week.

Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.