MS NOW anchor Jen Psaki. (MS Now Screengrab)
MS NOW anchor Jen Psaki pulled no punches at the disreputable slate of Republicans facing voters Tuesday night— some of them already toppled by their own voters as primaries extended into the night.
“Former Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell … is important because especially when you look at the Republican races we are watching tonight,’ said Psaki on her Wednesday The Briefing with Jen Psaki show. “Swalwell, as we all know, faced massive pressure to resign from his seat amid a flurry of sexual assault allegations. And even though Swalwell denied those allegations, officials … consider[ed] these allegations serious enough to universally push to show Swalwell the exit. Now, compare that to how it has gone for Republican congressman Cory Mills.”
Mills was running for reelection in Florida’s 7th Congressional district Wednesday, despite the fact that he is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, investigated for allegations that he assaulted a former girlfriend and allegations of stolen valor for obtaining a bronze star on false pretenses, as well as allegations of financial misconduct.
“Unlike Swalwell, Mills has not been pressured to resign his seat to drop out of the race. None of that. President Trump even endorsed him in February after most of those allegations, I would note, were already public,” said Psaki.
But Trump's endorsement did nothing to help the scandal plagued Mills as the Associated Press projected Mills losing to Republican challenger, Ryan Elijah.
“It's really important to remember that it was not the Republican Party that did that. It wasn't Republican leadership. It wasn't Donald Trump — certainly not. It wasn't [House Speaker] Mike Johnson, wasn't any of them. It was the voters.”
But the Mills race wasn’t the wildest in Florida, said Psaki, referring to the state's 19th congressional district, where 10 Trump loyalists were fighting for the GOP primary Wednesday night.
“Two of them are convicted felons -- I am not making that detail up. And guess what? Both of them were pardoned by President Trump,” said Psaki, referring to John Strand, a J-6 rioter who was photographed pushing past Capitol Police officers to enter the capitol and disrupt the 2020 election. Strand later texted, “we stormed the capitol. It was insane.”
“Thank God the other convicted felon who was pardoned by Trump running in Florida’s 19th district is former New York congressman Chris Collins. And you may remember this guy, because he resigned from Congress in 2019 and pleaded guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI,” Psaki said.
Trump pardoned Collins a year later, giving the former legislator the opportunity to sell his cozy relationship with Trump to voters.
But then there’s former North Carolina congressman Madison Cawthorn, who was also was running in Florida’s 19th district, even as polling showed him behind Wednesday night.
“A few years ago, Cawthorn faced his own allegations of sexually aggressive behavior from multiple women. Cawthorn denied those allegations, but ended up losing his seat to none other than Chuck Edwards, who just ended his own campaign for Congress this month after he faced his own sexual harassment allegations, which he also denied,” said Psaki.
“What a Grand Old Party,” said Psaki. “Indeed, you cannot make this up.”