Just when you thought the political news cycle couldn’t get any more strange.
Amidst an impeachment inquiry and a zany presidential election cycle, flatulence is the one thing that appears to be taking over the internet—and bringing us all together.
On Monday night, during an interview with MSNBC host Chris Matthew, former Democratic presidential nominee and California Rep. Eric Swalwell appeared to—uh—rip an enormous fart.
OMFG SOUND ON pic.twitter.com/StziH3Yh49
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) November 19, 2019
“Chris, so far the evidence is uncontradicted that the president used taxpayer dollars to help him cheat an election,” Swalwell said from the Capitol, appearing to stifle his laughter after the fart is heard.
Of course, the clip spread far and wide on the internet—with the appropriate hashtag, #FartGate.
“I have seen the #fartgate clip multiple times. I laugh out loud each time. It is just amazing. It’s the Moby Dick of farts. The King Kong. The Big Kahuna. It’s the Apex Predator of farts. If you think farts are beneath you, well, you are correct but you’re missing out on life,” wrote Wajahat Ali on Twitter.
I have seen the #fartgate clip multiple times. I laugh out loud each time. It is just amazing. It's the Moby Dick of farts. The King Kong. The Big Kahuna. It's the Apex Predator of farts. If you think farts are beneath you, well, you are correct but you're missing out on life.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) November 19, 2019
Swalwell pauses and flinches at the exact moment someone lightly drags a mug across a desk instead of just picking it up like a regular person
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 19, 2019
What an insane attempt at saving Swalwell#Fartgate https://t.co/l7gp2WaRpo
Excuse me ma’am, how did you react to Mr.Salwell farting on worldwide news!? 😝🤣😂🤣 #fartgate pic.twitter.com/m4zNcWSj9F
— outhmannn (@Alfa__MB) November 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/Eric_Fartwell/status/1196676182198177794
#fartgate is the #1 trend in United States. Ladies and gentlemen, America is finally great again.😂😂 pic.twitter.com/B3lJy82Q0X
— Julie C. Baker (@JulieCBaker3) November 19, 2019
Even Donald Trump Jr. weighed in.
We always knew Swalwell was full of shit… #fartgate https://t.co/XieSJVlsyv
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 19, 2019
In a text to BuzzFeed News, Swalwell denied being the person who passed gas—but we believe there’s a saying about those who denied it…
“It was not me!!!!!” he wrote. “Ha. And I didn’t hear it when I was speaking.”
A text I never thought I’d send pic.twitter.com/t0Y4rCA14x
— Addy Baird (@addysbaird) November 19, 2019
NEWS: SWALWELL denies it was him who farted on MSNBC: pic.twitter.com/IYmHwYfuGf
— Addy Baird (@addysbaird) November 19, 2019
MSNBC later tried to explain the noise on Twitter, saying it was due to a “mug scraping across the desk.”
Sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists – it was the #hardball mug scraping across the desk. Get yours today and let’s get back to the news! https://t.co/SG8Owm2IBw
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) November 19, 2019
…but not everyone is buying that.
Swalwell pauses and flinches at the exact moment someone lightly drags a mug across a desk instead of just picking it up like a regular person
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 19, 2019
What an insane attempt at saving Swalwell#Fartgate https://t.co/l7gp2WaRpo
https://twitter.com/theneedledrop/status/1196672017862463488
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