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Late-night shows “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” did not bring up former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s alleged sexual misconduct scandal during Monday and Tuesday’s shows.
Swalwell announced Monday he will officially resign from office after his sexual misconduct allegations triggered a surge of lawmakers calling for his expulsion over the weekend. He suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday.
Swalwell has used late-night interviews to announce some of his political campaigns, including his campaign for California governor, which he announced on Kimmel’s show in November. Swalwell announced his 2020 presidential run on Colbert’s show seven years ago.
The pair of late-night hosts also ignored GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales announcing his plan to resign after he admitted to sexual misconduct with a staffer earlier this year.
Then-Rep. Eric Swalwell appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Nov. 20, 2025, alongside host Jimmy Kimmel, and announced his gubernatorial campaign. (Randy Holmes/Disney)
ERIC SWALWELL WAS CABLE NEWS STAR FOR YEARS BEFORE RAPID FALL FROM GRACE
Kimmel and Colbert’s monologues often mock and cover the news of the day or previous day. Kimmel covered former President Joe Biden’s appearance at Syracuse, the war in Iran, President Donald Trump’s feud with Pope Leo and the Jesus picture posted by the president.
The only hint that Kimmel gave to his audience that something might be going on was when the host joked about Biden attending his portrait unveiling. Kimmel quipped of the former president, “Maybe run for the governor of California. It’s wide open.”
Colbert also continued coverage of the president’s controversial post and devoted a segment to the fertility rate.
A representative for both Colbert and Kimmel’s shows did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
After Swalwell’s announcement on Kimmel’s program in 2025, the late-night host referred to him as the possible future governor of California.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell delivers a speech as he attends the SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW)’s Gubernatorial Candidate Worker Forum at Meruelo Studios in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, 2026. (ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP via Getty Images)
REP. LUNA WARNS OF POTENTIAL JAIL TIME FOR ERIC SWALWELL FOLLOWING SERIOUS CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS
Swalwell was a frequent guest on CNN and MS NOW over the years as a Democratic lawmaker.
A Media Research Center study found that Swalwell appeared on MS NOW 26 times and on CNN another 24 times in 2026 alone, with all the appearances coming between January 1 and April 10.
Some pundits and journalists have said that Swalwell’s reputation with women was well known.
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Late-night host Stephen Colbert on March 8, 2026 during the 2026 Writers Guild Awards New York ceremony. Jimmy Kimmel during his show on March 16, 2026. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Writers Guild of America East; Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said on Monday that Swalwell’s reputation with women was reportedly an “open secret” that made him exploitable by America’s enemies. Liberal pundit Matthew Yglesias posted that the situation was “widely rumored” and journalist Yashar Ali said Democrats have “all known for years.” One reporter even suggested she failed to report out certain details because “MeToo stories on the Hill aren’t related to my beat.”
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‘ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
