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Former Staffer Says Rep. Eric Swalwell Raped Her; Rep. Eric Swalwell Faces Calls to Resign from Congress; Trump: Ships That Get Near Blockade Will Be "Eliminated". Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 13, 2026 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: We are following breaking news overnight that Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell has ended his campaign for governor of California. Four women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including one who told me he raped her. Allegations he fiercely denies. Here's what Swalwell said in a video message before suspending his campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): These allegations of sexual assault 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. They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the front runner candidate for governor in California. I do not suggest to you in any way that I'm perfect or that I'm a saint. 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. I also apologize to you if in any way you've doubted your support for me. But I think you know who I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And last night, the congressman posted, quote, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious false allegations that have been made, but that's my fight, not a campaign's.

Joining us now is CNN Washington bureau chief and political director David Chalian and CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams. Thank you both for coming on to put this into perspective.

And, David, I want to start with you on the politics of this. Swalwell's job in Congress is in jeopardy. What sort of backlash could he face on the Capitol?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. So, as you just noted, he ended his gubernatorial campaign. And interesting to hear in that video you played of him saying that those that have questioned their support, well, part of why he ended this campaign is because nearly everyone who supported him was questioning their support from when your story --

BROWN: (INAUDIBLE).

CHALIAN: Yes, when your story published on Friday, Pamela, but in Congress now and, and you could see Swalwell's trying to deal with this step by step, right? There's going to be the legal piece. Elliot will talk to in a minute. There's the campaign for governor piece, but then it hits his current job. He's a sitting member of Congress. And there's an effort underway to see if Congress will expel him. That's something that requires two-thirds majority, or will enough pressure come from when it's -- within his party that he actually steps down and resigns his seat from Congress the way many Democratics -- Democratic members have called on him to do.

BROWN: Because if he resigns, then there wouldn't be a house ethics investigation essentially?

CHALIAN: Exactly. That would go away. And so, would obviously the notion of being expelled.

BROWN: Right. Exactly. So, Elliot, former staffers for Swalwell in a recent letter said, quote, "Relevant law enforcement authorities should open a full and thorough investigation into the allegations against Congressman Swalwell without delay." They also wrote quote, "No one is above the law, not a Congressman, not a candidate for governor." Talk about the legal fallout here, particularly in the wake of the Manhattan district attorney's office investigating.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right. So, the Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating. And don't forget anywhere in the country, the sexual assaults might have happened, he could potentially be prosecuted there.

Now, both New York and let's say California, where obviously the Congressman would have been have quite, let's say expansive laws for statute of limitations. So, one can still be prosecuted for a rape or a sexual assault a long time after they happen, you're talking 20 years.

And so, number one, the seriousness of the crime is going to depend on the kind of charges you could face, but he's looking at potential charges for battery, for sexual assault, for unwanted touching. And then you're also talking about the potential civil suits.

Anyone who has been victimized can file a lawsuit against the Congressman saying that you touched me in a manner that was not proper, that I did not consent to you inflicted emotional distress. And he can be sued for that too. So, he's looking at both criminal and potential civil exposure here.

BROWN: How difficult is it to prove that if there's not photographic evidence of the moment?

WILLIAMS: Exactly. And let's say, you know, if you were to put it on a scale, the things that David was talking about are probably the easiest, the congressional investigations, because just in majority of Congress. Civil suits are much simpler to prove only because the standard is lower. You merely have to establish that it's more likely than not that the misconduct happened.

Criminal suits, you've heard the term reasonable doubt, that can be a very high bar, and in sexual assault cases, all kinds of feelings and emotions and baggage, but the challenge is you are pitting one person's testimony often against another's, and that creates an inherent conflict. That's not to say to dismiss any of the immense social and human costs and passion around all of this. However, it's just a conflict of evidence that those can be much tougher to prove at that high reasonable doubt standard in court.

BROWN: So, David, how does all of this shake up the governor's race and how are Swalwell's former opponents reacting to this?

CHALIAN: Yes. So, you know, Eric Swalwell was a leading contender on the democratic side in the governor's race, though it was, Pam, a quite unsettled race. I think it just remains that much more so unsettled today. It's not as if he had a commanding leader that the race was his, it's an open, it's a jungle primary in California. So, Republicans and Democrats run together in the primary. The top two finishers go in November.

[10:35:00]

So, you've got a lot of Democrats running, splitting up the democratic vote. You have a Trump endorsed Republican on the Republican side, hoping to use that to be one of the top two finishers.

And now, you see the likes of a former Congresswoman Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, the billionaire who has put a ton of money on the airwaves right now. And you see a lot of Democrats now, probably in the position to inherit immediate benefit, perhaps, from Swalwell's departure. But then you still have Xavier Becerra, the former HHS secretary, or the former L.A. mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. You have some other prominent names on the Democratic side who will seize this as an opportunity now. But it is now a much more unsettled race on the Dem side.

BROWN: All right. I want to go to sound from Swalwell's attorney who spoke to our Elex Michaelson on Friday night. That was before Swalwell announced the end of his campaign. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIAS DABAIE, ATTORNEY FOR REP. ERIC SWALWELL: These women, certain of them, have reached out to the congressman on multiple occasions, wishing him nothing but the best, supporting his campaign, saying that they'd vote for him for governor, asking for references for jobs, attending social events with him. So, from my perspective, looking at the facts, I do have to question the credibility of these allegations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, could that be a preview of what Swalwell's defense may look like? And I should note, in talking to experts, it is not uncommon to stay in touch with someone you were accusing of sexual misconduct for a variety of reasons. As one woman told me, she felt like she had Stockholm syndrome. But that's clearly something they're going to use as a defense.

WILLIAMS: Absolutely something they'll use as a defense. Now, to be clear, what the law cares about was, at the time of the offense, was the personal conduct unwelcome? Did the person not consent to the conduct? And so, that other stuff can certainly come in, but it doesn't change the underlying facts and circumstances. I think it's countered by the fact that there is an electronic record of a lot of these things happening. And you can expect prosecutors to point to, for instance, that text message you showed in the last segment that uses the word Eric.

And then, you know, one from a health care professional saying, you are a survivor. When you put those things together, that creates a more compelling case. But as I said earlier, Pam, sexual assaults can be challenging to prove because of this very factor, the fact that you have to pit the ideas of what's in a victim's head against the acts of the aggressor or the defendant. And that can just be factually difficult.

BROWN: How might a power imbalance factor into all of this? I mean, because the woman you saw, I spoke to, was a former staffer, and she had left his office in 2024 when she's alleging rape, which he denies. But she also talks about sexual misconduct in 2019 when she was a staffer.

WILLIAMS: Exactly. Anything that happens in a courtroom is really, you know, how the jury feels about it. And certainly, it's more likely to give the jury the ick. But at least in terms of the eyes of the law, the power imbalance is not relevant. Now, again, that's the kind of thing that it is very important for prosecutors to try to bring in because it establishes the likelihood that the particular act happened. But the law is silent as to whether the two people were in a different position, sort of in the workplace or whatever else.

Now, last point is that for all of his workplace problems that he has right now, like we were talking about Congress, that power imbalance is the whole ballgame. The fact that you're a supervisor, yes, I mean, you're done. Like if you've engaged in that kind of alleged misconduct, particularly in a place like Congress where they can expel you for just about anything.

BROWN: All right. David Chalian and Elliot Williams, thank you so much.

WILLIAMS: Thanks, Pam.

BROWN: We'll be right back.

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[10:40:00]

BROWN: Breaking news, President Trump posting on social media about the U.S. Navy's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, saying in part, warning, if any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at sea. It is quick and brutal.

With us now to talk about all of this is CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton and Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at London's Chatham House. All right. Good to see you both. Let's dive into this. Colonel Leighton, what do you make of the president's threat?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, that's a pretty considerable threat, Pamela. And one of the things to keep in mind is that it's going to be a lot more difficult to do that kind of an action, a preemptive action against ships in the Persian Gulf compared to say off the coast of Venezuela. But the threat is definitely there. I think it would be an environmental disaster if they hit an oil tanker.

And of course, that would be exactly contrary to the kinds of things that the U.S. should be doing in this particular case. We need to be protecting commerce. We need to make sure that the ships that are waiting on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz can get through. And that really is the most important thing because the economies in the Gulf, especially on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf, they need to have that commerce flow right now. And that should be really the preeminent job that CENTCOM does right now.

BROWN: Yes, just to follow up with you, Colonel, how does a blockade like this work?

LEIGHTON: Yes. So, what they would do is they need a whole series of ships, destroyers would be the most likely type of vessel that would be used. And what they would do is they would really be paying attention to which ships are transiting. It wouldn't be quite like we had, let's say, during the Civil War where the Union blockaded the Confederacy back in the 1860s. But what it would be is there would be a lot of surveillance and they would be watching which ships come in and out of the Iranian ports.

[10:45:00]

And that would be on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, both on the northern part, as well as in what really is the eastern/southern part that would include the Iranian port of Chabahar, which is right off of the Gulf of Oman. So, it would be a considerable operation requiring a lot of surveillance, as well as, of course, the physical presence of several destroyers and probably an aircraft carrier, maybe two aircraft carrier groups, battle groups to do that.

BROWN: Sanam, what are your biggest concerns when it comes to this blockade?

SANAM VAKIL, ADJUNT LECTURER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES DEPARTMENT, JOHNS HOPKINS SAIS AND DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, I think President Trump thinks by blockading Iran, he will force the leadership to submit to his deal and his demands. And unfortunately, the mentality of the leadership in Iran is hardening and the people who Vice President Vance negotiated with are looking to have a negotiation, not a submission. And so, Iran will sort of double down and try to absorb what will be certainly a very painful blockade if it can be enforced.

And then over time, you know, we'll have to see if Iran counter moves with some form of escalation. The ceasefire continues to hold right now. And I hope that there will still be some diplomatic channels open to arrive at another meeting. But if this continues in a longer timeframe, we will see a return to military conflict.

BROWN: Yes. I wonder what you think about that, Colonel, quickly on just the ceasefire and how fragile it is.

LEIGHTON: That's extremely fragile. And Sanam's exactly right. The Iranian leadership is very much looking to figure out a way to counter U.S. moves. And that could result in an end to the ceasefire fairly quickly. So, this is something that we really have to watch out for. And hopefully it won't go in that direction, but the likelihood is pretty high that it will.

BROWN: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, Sanam Vakil, thank you both.

And coming up here in the Situation Room, vanished at sea, the husband at the center of his wife's overboard disappearance in the Bahamas remains in police custody. But we could soon find out if Brian Hooker will formally face charges. The latest in that case just ahead.

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[10:50:00]

BROWN: While the crew members of Artemis II are back on Earth, their contributions to science are just beginning. The astronauts conducted new research on how deep space travel affects the human body. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is fascinating and no surprise. I mean, when it comes to NASA, they really dig in deep on these details. Let me present this to you in a way that they normally would as an acronym. The acronym is RIDGE. These are the big buckets of things that they are sort of worried about. RIDGE is radiation, isolation, distance from Earth, gravity, and environment. And they're really sort of studying all these different things and concerned about them.

So, when it comes to gravity, a low gravity, microgravity environment, there's all sorts of things that happen. Your bone mass and your muscle mass, that can start to decrease very quickly in a microgravity environment, but also fluid shifts. Your fluid that's typically in the lower part of your body, that'll start to sort of migrate higher up in your body. And you can see it visually if you look at the astronauts back on Earth and then in the capsule, look at their faces. They look puffier, and that's because that fluid is starting to shift to the upper part of their body, something that they want to keep an eye on.

But it has, you know, real ramifications besides just looking different. Your eyes can start to change. So, for example, these astronauts, they look outside at that bright moon, then they come back and they're inside. Their eyes have a harder time acclimating as a result of the changes in their eye. That's something NASA wants to look at.

And even like really specific things, like your taste buds will change. Fluid building up in your mouth and your -- that part of your body, your taste buds start to change. Food doesn't taste the same. That's a concern. So, they actually send five different hot sauces on the capsule. They want to make sure the astronauts are eating, and that's going to be obviously especially important for long missions. They do have these exercises. This is called the Artemis flywheel that you're looking at now. Again, to address muscle mass, to address bone mass, but also to sort of help recalibrate those fluid shifts as well.

There are some specific questions they are trying to answer up there on Artemis. One of the ones -- there's lots of them, but one of the big ones is the astronauts' immunity. How much immunity do they have? And does that immunity change in a microgravity environment? And they're worried that microgravity could actually diminish the immune system to some extent, make it harder to fight infections, and at the same time could potentially reactivate old viral DNA in their bodies.

So, let's say one of these astronauts had a viral infection in the past, totally cleared, but some of that DNA is still in their body. Could a microgravity environment potentially reactivate that? They're also looking at a very specific sort of study where they're taking their cells and they're putting their cells, bone marrow cells, on a chip. It's called organ-on-a-chip, and they're taking those to space. Why are they doing that? Well, the premise is that in space, that might be a natural accelerator of all these different bodily processes.

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So, what would happen on Earth at a certain pace might happen more quickly in space, and if you study that, you might get an idea of what happens to humans over time in terms of aging, in terms of certain diseases. So, it is fascinating stuff. Obviously, this is a relatively short expedition, but I think a lot of these things, a lot of these clues will be important for longer space expeditions, especially, for example, going to Mars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much, as always. And coming up here in the Situation Room, the Pope versus the President. CNN is traveling with Pope Leo as he reacts to President Trump's criticism, saying he has, quote, "no fear of the administration."

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