Joshua Roberts/Pool via AP; J. Scott Applewhite via AP
- Rep. Eric Swalwell swiped at Rep. Madison Cawthorn over a tweet concerning the "biggest lie a politician has ever told."
- Swalwell pointed out Cawthorn's previous misleading comments about getting accepted into the Naval Academy.
- Cawthorn hit back at Swalwell by bringing up his ties to a suspected Chinese spy.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell on Wednesday took a swipe at Rep. Madison Cawthorn after the Republican lawmaker tried to criticize President Joe Biden in a tweet.
"What's the biggest lie a politician has ever told? Biden said that the $3.5 TRILLION spending bill will cost zero dollars," Cawthorn, a freshman congressman of North Carolina, wrote on Twitter.
In response, several Twitter users quickly confronted Cawthorn over his own previous false and misleading statements.
"Lying about getting into the Naval Academy. Next," Swalwell replied. His comment refers to when Cawthorn boosted his 2020 campaign run and public image with claims that his plans to attend the Naval Academy were "derailed" when he was left partially paralyzed in a wheelchair after a car accident.
However, an investigation by his home state newspaper found that Cawthorn admitted in a 2017 sworn deposition that he was rejected from the Naval Academy before the crash occurred.
-Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 28, 2021
Cawthorn's initial tweet on Wednesday refers to Biden's economic spending package, which on Thursday was officially slimmed down from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion. The framework, still under negotiations, includes provisions like universal pre-K and an expanded child tax credit, as well as investments in clean energy and affordable housing. Democrats are considering covering the cost through tax hikes on wealthy Americans and corporations.
On Thursday, Cawthorn hit back at Swalwell, tweeting: "How's Fang Fang?" - a reference to Swalwell's ties to a suspected Chinese spy, Fang Fang or Christine Fang.
Cawthorn has risen to prominence in the Republican Party as a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. Alongside taking on big tech companies and fighting against vaccine mandates, he's also amplified conspiracy theories and spread disinformation since being elected to Congress, joining a faction of far-right lawmakers, including fellow GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.