Jimmy Kimmel gave Eric Swalwell his biggest audience of the entire campaign and introduced him as a warrior fighting the forces of MAGA.
That was November.
Monday, Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his governor's run after multiple women accused him of sexual assault, unsolicited explicit photos, and non-consensual sex – and Kimmel didn't say a word about it.
Kimmel Called Swalwell a MAGA Fighter Five Months Before the Sexual Assault Allegations
In November, Swalwell walked onto Jimmy Kimmel's stage and declared he was running for governor of California.
Kimmel introduced him as someone who "battles daily with the forces of MAGA," adding that "the president does not like him at all."
Swalwell played the role perfectly.
https://twitter.com/r05236831/status/2044400478637719917?s=20
He told Kimmel's audience that California needs "a fighter and a protector," listing his credentials as a city council member, an Oakland prosecutor, and a Democrat who had taken on Trump in Congress.
The studio audience gave him a standing ovation.
Now a former staffer has accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her twice – once in 2019 and once in 2024 – on both occasions when she was too intoxicated to consent.
Three other women told CNN he sent them unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos.
A fifth accuser, Lonna Drewes, held a press conference Tuesday in Beverly Hills and alleged that Swalwell drugged, choked, and raped her in 2018.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has opened a criminal investigation.
Kimmel spent Monday's episode attacking Trump over an AI-generated image, remarks about Pope Leo XIV, a "No Tax on Tips" event at the White House, and Iran negotiations.
He said nothing about the man he called California's next governor five months ago.
Alyssa Milano and the Me Too Movement Have Nothing to Say About Swalwell
It gets worse.
Alyssa Milano, Gwyneth Paltrow, America Ferrera, Neve Campbell, Lady Gaga – the loudest voices in the celebrity Me Too movement – went silent the moment Swalwell's accusers came forward.
Not one statement. Not one post. Not one expression of concern for the women making the allegations.
These are the same celebrities who spent years insisting that believing women was non-negotiable – that silence was complicity – that powerful men hiding behind prestige and political connections were exactly who the movement existed to expose.
When the powerful man had a (D) next to his name, the movement found other things to post about.
The "Time's Up" crowd followed suit.
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Every celebrity who amplified Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign launch – the one Kimmel hosted – disappeared when the accusations arrived.
The Me Too Double Standard Has a Name and Its Name Is Eric Swalwell
Here is what Me Too has now confirmed about itself: it was never a movement about women.
It was a political operation that used women's pain as leverage against Republican men.
Brett Kavanaugh faced a mob based on decades-old allegations.
Harvey Weinstein raised millions for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama over decades.
He faced consequences only after he became too embarrassing to protect.
Al Franken resigned in 2018 after a photo emerged of him groping a woman while she slept on a plane.
Eric Swalwell resigns in 2025 amid allegations of rape, and the celebrity class that built entire careers on Me Too can't find the post button.
Jimmy Kimmel gave Swalwell his biggest platform of the campaign cycle.
He could have acknowledged what happened.
He chose to bash Trump instead – which, when you think about it, is exactly what Hollywood does every time a Democrat is caught.
Sources:
- Alana Mastrangelo, "Jimmy Kimmel Ignores Swalwell Scandal — Disgraced Dem Launched Governor Campaign on His ABC Show," Breitbart, April 14, 2026.
- Alana Mastrangelo, "Hollywood Celebrities Who Backed Swalwell Go Silent After Sexual Assault Allegations," Breitbart, April 14, 2026.
- Staff, "Rep. Eric Swalwell Resigns From Congress After Sexual Misconduct Allegations," Fox News, April 15, 2026.