Eric Swalwell says House GOP members ‘living on Fantasy Island’ as they claim classified documents were safe with Trump

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Eric Swalwell (D-Calif) called out House Republicans while responding to Rep Jeff Van Drew's (R-NJ) statements over the classified documents case involving the former President and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, on Thursday, June 27.

In his remarks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Van Drew argued that Trump was still the President of the United States when he brought boxes of documents containing national security secrets to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. As such, the Congressman claimed that Trump had a “right to declassify” them, reported HuffPost.

“He was a president that put it in an area that was safely stored,” Van Drew reportedly stated. The Republican has been a strong ally of Trump and is one of 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Eric Swalwell's response to Jeff Van Drew

Later on in the judicial committee hearing, Congressman Swalwell stated that he could "let go" of the comments made by Van Drew.

In a video of the hearing uploaded over the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Swalwell is heard saying, "One of my Republican colleagues just stated that the boxes containing national security secrets that were seized at Mar-a-Lago were stored in a safe manner, quote, stored in a safe manner."

Pointing at a picture of the discovery of the boxes at the estate, where they are seen stacked on top of each other next to a toilet, he continues, "This is the bathroom at Mar-a-Lago with over a dozen boxes of national security secrets that were stored in a safe manner."

“My friends, you are living on Fantasy Island," jibes the Congressman. "That’s where cults live, so that makes sense. But this bathroom is a mess, this committee has been a mess, and this Congress is a mess. This is not stored in a safe manner. It is delusional to say that.”

Internet backs Eric Swalwell

Internet users agreed with Rep Swalwell's comments over X, as the following tweets demonstrate.

"Storing national security secrets in a bathroom is about as 'safe' as keeping your goldfish in a blender. Welcome to Fantasy Island, where logic takes a holiday!" expressed a user.

"Rep Swalwell is nailing it today!" exclaimed another.

"This is so humiliating for Republicans," wrote a third.

"MAGA/GOP are really in a modern day 'CULT'. Trump can do no wrong in their eyes. Pure disgusting!" observed a fourth user.

"Just keeping some reading material next to the royal throne. Nothing to see here," jibed a fifth.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.