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Eric Swalwell Assault Allegations Revealed, Trump's Strait of Hormuz Blockade | 4/13/26 FIRST LOOK
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It's Monday, April 13th, 2026. I'm your host Dave Rubin and this is First Look Quick Note before we get started. A big political development out of Europe. Hungary's longtime leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday, beat by opposition figure Petar Magyar in a major upset after more than a decade of in control. That's a significant shift we'll keep an eye on. We've got a packed show to start your week. Here's what we're watching this morning. Eric Swalwell's governor campaign is in free fall after a former staffer accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. The scandal gets even bigger as more women come forward, top Democrats run for the exits and new complaints raise questions about campaign funds and and immigration issues tied to his household. And later, the Middle east moves closer to the brink after US Iran talks, collapse and President Trump announces a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Let's get into it. Eric Swalwell rocked by sexual assault allegations we start in California, where Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell, one of the highest profile candidates in the race for governor, is facing explosive allegations from a former staffer who says he pursued her while she worked for him and sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions when she was too intoxicated to consent. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the woman worked for swalwell for nearly two years. She says he began pursuing her in 2019 when she was just 21 years old and working in his district office in Castro Valley after his failed presidential campaign. Her account is deeply disturbing. She says Swalwell started messaging her on Snapchat within weeks of hiring her, first in a friendly way, then increasingly sexual. According to her, he sent shirtless photos, photos of his genitals, and asked her to send explicit pictures in return. She says that over time his behavior escalated from inappropriate messages to direct sexual advances in person. She alleges that on one occasion, while she was driving him to an event, he exposed himself in the car and asked her to perform oral sex. She says she did so in a parking lot, then stopped because she was afraid someone would see them. The more serious allegation came later that year. She says that in September 2019, Swalwell invited her and friends out for drinks, bought her alcohol, and that she became so intoxicated she blacked out. She says she woke up the next morning naked in his hotel bed, feeling the physical effects of vaginal intercourse but with no clear memory of what had happened. According to her, the pattern repeated years later. She says that in April 2024, after attending a New York charity gala where Swalwell was being honored, she met up with him again for drinks. She says she told him no funny business, but later became so intoxicated she remembers only fragments being in his hotel room, him on top of her, pushing him away and telling him no. She later texted a friend that she had been sexually assaulted, writing that she had blacked out, woke up during it and told him to stop. At one point, she says that after the alleged 2024 assault, she woke up alone in his room at the Times Square Edition hotel, disoriented, still feeling drunk with v vaginal bleeding and bruises. She says she sought pregnancy and STD testing a week later, and the Chronicle reports that medical records confirm she did undergo those tests. The Chronicle also says it reviewed text messages she sent to a friend three days later in which she described the encounter as assault and said the same pattern had happened once before while she was working for him. Swalwell is categorically denying the allegations. In a statement, he said the accusations are false, politically motivated and timed to damage him. Just before an election, his attorney sent the woman a cease and desist letter accusing her of making false statements and threatening legal action if she did not retract them. But politically, the fallout was immediate. Within hours of the Chronicle report, major Democratic allies began abandoning him. Both chairs of his campaign, Democratic Congressmen Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, withdrew their endorsements and called on him to end his gubernatorial bid. Nancy Pelosi, one of Swalwell's most powerful allies, also called on him to leave the race. And that tells you everything. Eric Swalwell is absolutely cooked. And if that weren't enough, the situation quickly got worse. Within hours of the Chronicle report, CNN published additional allegations from three more women, including claims of unwanted advances, inappropriate touching and unsolicited explicit photos. Swalwell has denied all of it. The former staffer at the center of the story says she stayed silent for years out of fear, worried about her career and the power imbalance. But when rumors began circulating recently, she says she realized Swalwell was confident no one would speak out. And that's what pushed her to come forward. Now there are additional questions piling on. Separate complaints accuse Swalwell and his wife of potential labor and immigration violations involving a live in nanny, including claims that campaign funds were used for childcare. While her work status may have been unclear, those claims are still under investigation, but they add to the growing scrutiny. Taken together, this is turning into a full blown political crisis. Swalwell built a national profile, positioning himself as a moral voice, often speaking out on character and misconduct. So allegations like these cut directly against that image. And that's why the fallout has been so swift. Democrats are already distancing themselves, calls are growing for him to drop out. And regardless of what happens next, this race just got completely upended. US Iran Talks Collapse, Trump Orders Straight of Hormuz Blockade now let's turn overseas, where things escalated dramatically over the weekend. President Trump announced Sunday that the United States will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran fell during negotiations in Pakistan. And this is not some minor regional dispute. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. A huge share of global oil traffic passes through it. Any serious disruption there can hit energy markets, global trade and national security all at once. Trump made the announcement in a truth social post, saying that while negotiators agreed on many points, the one issue that mattered most, Iran's nuclear ambitions, remained unresolved. He then laid out a sweeping response. Trump said the US Navy would begin blockading any ships trying to enter or leave the strait. He also said the Navy would seek out and interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. On top of that, he said the US Would begin destroying mines that Iran allegedly laid in the waterway. And the warning from Trump was about as blunt as it gets. He said that any Iranian who fires at American forces or peaceful vessels with would be, quote, blown to hell. He also declared that Iran's navy is gone, its air force is gone, its radar and anti aircraft systems are useless, and that the regime's leadership has been devastated by its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trump framed the whole move as a response to what he called world extortion, the idea that Iran was using threats in the Strait of Hormuz to shake down global shipping while still refusing to fully give up its nuclear program. And according to the details circulating from the failed negotiations, Vice President J.D. vance and U.S. negotiators had put a very tough final deal on the table. That reported offer included an end to all uranium enrichment, the dismantling of major nuclear enrichment facilities, retrieval of highly enriched uranium, a broader peace and de escalation framework involving regional allies, an end to funding for terror proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls. Iran apparently rejected that framework, and now the administration is moving from negotiation to force. Not surprisingly, Iran is already trying to control the narrative. Reports say the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly claim that the Strait remains open for harmless civilian passage, a sign that Tehran may be feeling real pressure now that Trump has moved from warnings to action. This is a huge test for the administration. On one hand, Trump and his allies are clearly trying to project strength. No more half measures. No more endless appeasement. No more letting Iran hold the global economy hostage while it plays games over nuclear development. So this is one of those moments where the entire world is watching to see who blinks first. That's your first look for this Monday. The stories you need to know as you start your day. We'll keep tracking all of it, from the Swalwell fallout to the growing tension in the Middle east. And we'll have more as these stories develop. I'm Dave Rubin. Thanks for starting your morning with first Look. We'll see you next time.
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