East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell is making waves for comparisons between President Trump and terrorist Osama bin Laden in the days leading up to a second impeachment trial for the president.
Swalwell, one of nine House impeachment managers named by Nancy Pelosi to lead the effort, compared the president to bin Laden in an interview with Judy Woodruff of PBS News.
"Osama bin Laden did not enter U.S. soil on September 11, but it was widely acknowledged that he was responsible for inspiring the attack on our country and the president with his words, using the words ‘fight’ with the speakers he assembled that day, who called for ‘trial by combat’ and said we have to ‘take names and kick ass,’ that is hate speech that radicalized people to storm the Capitol," he said.
Woodruff followed Swalwell’s lead, asking if he was comparing Trump to bin Laden.
"I’m comparing the words of a individual who would incite and radicalize somebody as Osama bin Laden did to what President Trump did," Swalwell answered. "You don’t actually have to commit the violence yourself, but if you call others to violence, that itself is a crime."
Swalwell made the remarks Tuesday, a day before the president was impeached by the House for the deadly pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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