Swalwell and Gonzales Head for the Exit Amid Sex Scandals
The Morning Sixpack - 04/14/2026 Congress chaos, Trump vs. Pope, China tests Hormuz, L.A. strike averted, ICE deaths climb
Two Parties, Same Exit: Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales Head for the Doors as Sex Misconduct Allegations Explode
In a matter of hours, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales both announced plans to leave Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Washington’s moral high ground just got a lot more crowded at the bottom.
Swalwell’s fall was the political equivalent of a trapdoor. Once a leading Democratic candidate to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California congressman suspended his gubernatorial campaign after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a woman. He denied the claims, saying, “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.” Then came the kicker: he said he would resign from Congress, acknowledging, “I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
The timing detonated California’s already chaotic governor’s race. With Swalwell out, Democrats like billionaire activist Tom Steyer, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Rep. Katie Porter are scrambling to consolidate support in a field so crowded it could lock the party out of November’s ballot. Swalwell, once a House impeachment manager against Trump, now finds himself fighting for his own political survival. Editor: He’s cooked.
Meanwhile in Texas, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales said he will retire after admitting to an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. The House Ethics Committee had already launched an investigation into whether Gonzales violated rules barring relationships with employees under a lawmaker’s supervision. “I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said. Hours later, he announced he would file retirement papers, adding, “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all.”
The bipartisan backlash was swift. Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said both men “are not fit to serve in Congress given their sexual transgressions against women who work for them,” and vowed to introduce an expulsion resolution against Gonzales even after his retirement announcement. Some lawmakers openly mused about an expulsion trade that would take down one from each party—equal opportunity accountability.
Two different parties. Two different states. Same abrupt ending. Congress talks endlessly about standards and service. Turns out the exit doors work just fine.
Editor: When both sides are racing to file resignation paperwork before lunch, maybe—just maybe—it’s not a messaging problem. It’s a standards problem.
Trump Tells Meloni Iran Could ‘Blow Up Italy in Two Minutes’ as Pope Feud Turns Global
Donald Trump fired back at Italy’s prime minister and doubled down on attacking Pope Leo, warning that Iran could “blow up Italy in two minutes” if it gets a nuclear weapon.
When the President of the United States starts gaming out Italy’s destruction to win an argument, the temperature just spiked.
The clash began after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called Trump’s tirade against Pope Leo “unacceptable.” Trump’s response? “It is she who is unacceptable, because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance,” he told Corriere della Sera. He added that she’s “no longer the same person, and Italy will not be the same country.”
The back-and-forth traces to Trump blasting the U.S.-born pontiff over Iran policy. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime (WTF?), and terrible for Foreign Policy,” adding, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.” He later refused to apologize, saying, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things, so I’m not going to apologize.”
Pope Leo didn’t exactly light a candle and move on. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, he pushed back: “To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is. And I’m sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.” Translation: stick to geopolitics, Mr. President, and I’ll stick to the Gospel.
Somewhere between a deleted post depicting Trump as a saint-like healer and a nuclear hypothetical involving Italy, this stopped being a policy disagreement and started looking like a three-way shouting match across continents. Allies are now collateral in a feud that’s part theology, part deterrence theory, and all politics.
Source: Daily Mirror
Editor: If your Iran strategy requires threatening to vaporize your NATO ally in a soundbite, maybe it’s time to lower the volume—and pick up a phone.
Trump’s Deleted ‘Christ’ Post Exposes Cracks in His 2026 Coalition
President Trump’s decision to delete a social-media post depicting himself in a Christ-like image underscores growing fractures inside the coalition that returned him to power.
When even your most reliable supporters start flinching, it’s not just a bad post—it’s a warning sign.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s politics newsletter, Trump has twice recently yanked social media posts after fierce backlash—including a February video widely condemned as racist and, this week, an image that appeared to portray him as Christ. Prominent Christian conservatives objected, calling the image blasphemous. Trump later said he thought the photo made him look like a “doctor.” Sure.
The episode lands at an awkward moment. Trump’s alliance—stitched together from populists, “America First” influencers, MAHA activists and Christian conservatives—is showing visible strain. Some on the right are uneasy about his escalating rhetoric toward Iran and Venezuela. Now, attacks on Pope Leo XIV have amplified concerns among faith leaders who were instrumental in reshaping the Supreme Court and delivering key votes in 2024.
The broader issue isn’t one deleted meme. It’s that the backlash was “so extreme, and so swift” that Trump felt compelled to take it down. For a president who thrives on provocation and rarely retreats, deletion is data. Each flare-up—whether over foreign policy, religion or tone—adds another hairline crack as Republicans look ahead to 2026.
Democrats have their own identity crisis, but Trump’s political brand has long depended on loyalty that borders on immovable. If that loyalty starts to wobble—especially among Christian conservatives—it could complicate midterm math in ways no Truth Social post can fix.
Source: The Wall Street Journal (gift)
Editor: Deleting a post isn’t weakness. Deleting it because your own base revolts? That’s a flashing yellow light for 2026.
China’s Sanctioned Tanker Slips Past Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Without a Shot Fired
A U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz as American warships enforced President Trump’s new blockade on Iranian-linked shipping.
If this is maximum pressure, Beijing didn’t seem to get the memo.
The vessel, the Rich Starry—sanctioned by Washington since 2023 for dealings with Iran—passed through the 24-mile-wide chokepoint unchallenged as the U.S. Navy deployed destroyers, minesweepers and surveillance ships to restrict traffic to and from Iranian ports. The tanker reportedly carried 250,000 barrels of methanol from the UAE and did not technically breach the blockaded zone, but it sailed close enough to test the optics of Trump’s warning that Iranian-linked vessels would be hit if they came “anywhere close.”
China, an ally of Tehran, blasted the blockade as “dangerous and irresponsible,” warning it could undermine navigation security and inflame tensions. The standoff comes as oil markets remain jumpy. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes through Hormuz, and even partial disruption sends prices north in a hurry.
Complicating Trump’s strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports that roughly 160 million barrels of Iranian oil—worth billions—are already floating in tankers outside the strait, potentially blunting the economic impact of the blockade before the president’s ceasefire deadline. Trump says Tehran has reached out and wants a deal “very badly,” while Vice President JD Vance accuses Iran of “economic terrorism.”
Allies are wobbling. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out British involvement, and French President Emmanuel Macron signaled France would stick to defensive maritime support rather than join the blockade outright. That leaves Trump projecting strength—but largely alone.
A blockade is only as strong as its enforcement. When a sanctioned tanker glides by under the watch of the world’s most powerful navy, adversaries take notes.
Source: The Sun
Editor: Nothing says airtight strategy like daring the world to test you—and then waving as they sail past. Trump is WEAK.
L.A. Schools Dodge Massive Strike at 2 A.M.—With Big Raises and Bigger Stakes
Los Angeles Unified struck a last-minute deal with its final holdout union, narrowly averting a strike that would have shuttered schools for hundreds of thousands of students.
At 2 a.m., with picket lines hours away, the district blinked—and opened its wallet.
The breakthrough came after marathon negotiations with Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, representing about 30,000 bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers. Two other major unions—teachers and administrators—had already reached agreements but pledged to walk out in solidarity if support staff didn’t get a deal. That would have sidelined roughly 70,000 employees across more than 1,500 schools in the nation’s second-largest district.
Under the tentative agreements, starting teacher pay jumps to $77,000, with average raises of nearly 14 percent over two years. Administrators secured raises topping 11 percent. Support staff—among the district’s lowest-paid workers—are slated for an average 24 percent raise, with many gaining enough hours to qualify for health benefits. That’s real money in a city where rent can swallow a paycheck whole.
Mayor Karen Bass stepped in late Monday to help close the deal, reprising a familiar role from the district’s 2023 labor showdown. The near-strike also fits into a broader push by the California Teachers Association, which has coordinated pressure campaigns across multiple districts to boost pay and spotlight funding strains.
The district still faces declining enrollment and tighter federal dollars, which means these raises don’t magically solve the math. But for families bracing for canceled classes Tuesday morning, the immediate crisis is over. For now.
Source: The New York Times
Editor: Nothing like the threat of 70,000 workers calling in “solidarity” to turn a budget debate into a 2 a.m. breakthrough. Sleep is overrated anyway.
16th Migrant Dies in ICE Custody as Deaths Surge Under Trump’s Crackdown
A 49-year-old Mexican man has become the 16th migrant to die in ICE custody this year, underscoring a sharp rise in detainee deaths during President Trump’s second term.
At this pace, 2026 could eclipse last year’s record—and it’s only April.
Alejandro Cabrera Clemente died Saturday after being found unresponsive at the Winn Correctional Center in central Louisiana, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Staff initiated emergency measures before transporting him to Winn Parish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. ICE did not disclose a cause of death.
Cabrera was arrested by ICE agents on Jan. 8 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and transferred days later to the Louisiana facility, where he was being held pending removal proceedings. ICE said he had lived in the United States for more than 25 years and cited a criminal history that included disorderly conduct, drug possession and prohibition violations, as well as an arrest for domestic violence.
By ICE’s own public reporting, nearly 50 people have died in immigration custody in the roughly 15 months since Trump returned to office—far exceeding the approximately two dozen deaths reported during the entire four years of the prior administration. Last year alone saw a record 33 detainee deaths, and 2026 is now on track to surpass it.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she was informed of Cabrera’s death Monday and called for accountability. “We must stand up and demand real accountability -- ICE has a duty to provide care to those in their custody,” she wrote on social media.
The administration argues its hard-line enforcement policies are necessary to restore order at the border. But with the death toll climbing, scrutiny over detention conditions is intensifying—and so are the political stakes.
Source: UPI
Editor: When the death count starts climbing faster than the rhetoric, it’s no longer just border policy—it’s a test of basic accountability & decency. The Trump regime has neither.