Since joining the jam-packed field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in April, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has tried to earn that sweet, sweet name recognition necessary to catapult him to the nomination.
Yesterday afternoon, he hit pay dirt. In a tweet with a video accompanying it, Swalwell wrote, “I may be ‘another white guy,’ but I know where there are gaps in my knowledge or my experience and I know when to pass the mic.”
Totes, bro.
I may be “another white guy,” but I know where there are gaps in my knowledge or my experience and I know when to pass the mic. pic.twitter.com/jMYBwF97xY
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) May 27, 2019
The short video clip begins with VICE News Tonight’s Elizabeth Landers, who recently spent 48 hours with the presidential candidate in Iowa, posing a simple, but tough question: “Why should another white guy be president?”
“Well, a white guy who doesn’t see other identities or understand other experiences shouldn’t be president,” Swalwell begins, sunlight glinting off his Lannister-gold crown. “I do.”
Swalwell then meanders on about how he’ll “pass the mic” to others when there are “gaps” in his knowledge or experience. What’s more: He’s pledged to ask a real-life woman to serve as his number two.
Twitter could hardly contain its excitement. Retorts ranged from calls to permanently snatch the mic from staffers who suggested he post the video in the first place—“Fire whoever told you this was a good idea. Fire them all right now” to bone-dry quips about his rank in the polls to perennially amusing digs at how wildly ratioed the tweet was getting.
https://twitter.com/MarkDice/status/1133126964758208513
Just when you thought @ericswalwell couldn’t be anymore cringe worthy:
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) May 27, 2019
I’m polling neck and neck with @BilldeBlasio and @ericswalwell in the 2020 Dem Primary, and I’m a Republican who isn’t running. #winning
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) May 27, 2019
Conservative media wasted no time pouncing on the tweet.
“Eric Swalwell Faces Backlash for Admitting to Being ‘Another White Guy,’” the Washington Examiner quipped in a headline. National Review posted a story called, “Why Doesn’t Eric Swalwell Just ‘Pass the Mic’ Now?”
Then Donald Trump Jr. weighed in with an actually amusing tweet, writing, “Hard to believe that this isn’t a parody account.”
Hard to believe that this isn’t a parody account. https://t.co/ExJPYjMPnA
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 28, 2019
Hard to tell where the Swalwell 2020 campaign will track in the polls from here. But as long as he keeps dropping dimes on social, it will definitely be entertaining to watch.
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