Morning Joe Grills Eric Swalwell: ‘Do You Regret Saying’ Trump is an ‘Agent of Russia?’

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) appeared on Morning Joe Thursday, days after throwing his hat into the 2020 presidential race, and faced questioning over his claims during the Mueller investigation that President Donald Trump is an “agent of Russia.”

“You said even in January on MSNBC when you were asked by Chris Matthews if the President is an agent of Russia, you said yes,” MSNBC anchor Willie Geist asked the candidate, who is primarily known in the race for his opinions on gun control and Trump and Russia.

Geist also noted Trump “will undoubtedly” say Swalwell was “way out there on the question of his campaign’s relationship by Russia” in an attempt to discredit his campaign.

“Do you regret saying that?” Geist continued. “Or you do you still believe President Trump is still an agent of Russia? What do you mean by that?”

“He acts on their behalf, he too often puts their interests, too often, ahead of our own interests,” Swalwell replied.

Swalwell attempted to divert the conversation to income inequality in Russia, but Geist cut him off and again asked what the lawmaker means by accusing Trump of being an “agent” and “taking orders from Vladimir Putin.”

The California lawmaker laid out his speculative case on Trump’s vassal relationship with Putin:

“If he wasn’t taking orders, he wouldn’t take the interpreter’s note. If he wasn’t taking orders, He would release the report that said he’s 100 percent exonerated with and so why does he act so suspiciously with Russia in ways he doesn’t act with Theresa May or Macron or Trudeau all of my experience as a prosecutor tells me something wrong with the way he’s acting, the way that he’s lying and that we should all be concerned about it.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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