Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales announce plans to leave Congress; Trump deletes Jesus-like social media image

Trump said he’s “not a big fan” of Riley Gaines, the conservative influencer who rose to notoriety over her efforts to ban trans people from women’s sports and was a frequent surrogate for him during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Gaines grilled Trump on X earlier in the day, reacting to an AI-generated image depicting him as a Christ-like figure, which Trump posted, and since deleted, on Truth Social.

“I cannot understand why’d he post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?” Gaines wrote, adding, “A little humility would serve him well,” and “God shall not be mocked.”

Asked whether criticism factored into his decision to delete his post, Trump said in a phone interview today with CBS News: “I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines. I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually.”

Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit from the race for governor of California following sexual misconduct allegations has scrambled what was already a crowded and unsettled contest in the country’s biggest Democratic-led state.

Swalwell, who announced tonight that he was resigning from Congress, was one of the top-polling Democrats, alongside former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, in a race that has lacked a clear front-runner. Now that Swalwell has dropped out — and with ballots already printed and going out in the mail for early voting in just over three weeks — Democrats are aggressively jockeying to consolidate support ahead of a rapidly approaching top-two, all-party primary.

“The Swalwell news upends a race that was already upended. Porter and Steyer seemingly stand the most to gain, but there are a lot of undecided,” said Ted Lempert, a former Democratic assemblyman in California who teaches political science at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced today that he is retiring from Congress after the House Ethics Committee launched a probe into him over a romantic relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said on X.

He did not specify when he plans to step down. Gonzales had announced last month that he was dropping his re-election bid.

His announcement came shortly after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced his own plans to resign amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations. Calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to expel Swalwell and Gonzales grew louder over the weekend.

Read the full story here.

Swalwell’s planned resignation from Congress will also end the House Ethics Committee’s investigation of him, as the committee has jurisdiction only over current members. 

In this case, the Ethics Committee had only launched an investigation today. “Regardless of the potential offense, a Member’s departure from the House ends a case, as the committee does not have jurisdiction over former Members,” a Congressional Research Service report says. 

Swalwell’s resignation is not effective yet. He must submit a letter to the House speaker that the House clerk will read aloud on the floor when the chamber is in session. The House will come back into session at noon tomorrow.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee said in a post on X: "While I am aware he has announced his intention to resign, he still remains a Member of the House at this time and therefore the Committee retains jurisdiction over the ongoing investigation.”

Staff members in Swalwell’s office can continue working for the office. The House clerk steps in to help manage offices after the resignations, deaths or expulsions of members.

The timing of a special election, or whether there even will be one, is unclear at the moment. If there is one, the timing is up to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Under California election law, if a vacancy in Congress occurs after “the close of the nomination period,” the governor can decline to call a special election at their discretion. That's the case here since the filing deadline was March 6.

Newsom’s office said today they’re reviewing the matter and will make an announcement once Swalwell's seat is officially vacant. Swalwell did not specify in this afternoon's announcement when exactly he plans to step down.

If the governor calls for a special election, state law says that it must occur between 126 and 140 days after the governor’s proclamation. But, depending on the timing off all of this, there’s another exception to keep in mind: state law also allows for a special election to be conducted within 200 days of the proclamation in order to consolidate with another election. That essentially means it's possible a special could coincide with the November election, depending on the timing.

The archbishop of Miami weighed in today on Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo, saying they won’t affect the pope but could affect the president down the line.

“I don’t think President Trump apologizes to anybody, and I think the pope is not going to lose any sleep waiting for an apology,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski said in an interview with NBC News.

Wenski added that if Trump seeks the pope’s forgiveness, he is likely to receive it.

“If the president or somebody else comes and knocks on the pope’s door, on the confessional and seeks pardon, he’ll get it, because that’s our business. We’re in the mercy business. We’re in the forgiving business,” Wenski said, adding that the clergy won’t hold grudges against Trump and neither will the pope, who has “bigger fish to fry.”

Swalwell announced this afternoon that he plans to resign from Congress following calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for him to step down amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations.

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell wrote on X.

He didn’t specify when exactly he intends to step down, saying instead that he would work with his staff to ensure it can “serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district.”

Swalwell suspended his bid for California governor yesterday. Today, the House Ethics Committee said it was launching a probe into the allegations.

Read the full story here.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., weighed in on Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo, telling reporters, “I would leave the church alone.”

Thune also said he had “no observation” on Trump’s since-deleted post, in which he published what appeared to be an AI-generated image that depicted Trump as a Christ-like savior. 

“My understanding is it’s been taken down,” Thune added.

A woman who said she has "serious sexual misconduct allegations" against Swalwell will hold a news conference tomorrow to "describe her claims," according to her lawyers.

An advisory for the media event, set to take place at 9:30 a.m. PT in Beverly Hills, California, says her attorneys, Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, will describe "the next legal steps."

The Trump administration agreed today to keep flying a rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York, reversing course after it removed the banner in February.

The government revealed the decision as it seeks to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ and historic preservation groups that had sought to block the removal. A judge must still approve the agreement.

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The House Ethics Committee said it has opened an investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell.

Committee leaders said in a statement that the committee "has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations that Representative Eric Swalwell violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision."

Swalwell dropped his bid for governor of California amid the allegations last night.

After a two-week recess, Congress returns today to a growing agenda.

It needs to fund the still-shuttered Department of Homeland Security, for which Republicans want to pass a separate, party-line bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol. 

And there’s a push in the House to expel up to four members, including Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who ended his campaign for governor of California over the weekend after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell has said the sexual assault allegations are “false” and apologized for “mistakes in judgment.”

There will also be a debate about Trump’s war with Iran, which faces an uncertain future as he says he’s deploying U.S. assets to the region to challenge Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil flow.

Read the full story here.

A federal judge in Florida today dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a bawdy 50th birthday card he is alleged to have sent to Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles tossed the case after he found Trump’s suit “comes nowhere close” to reaching the standard of actual malice — a showing “the false statement was made with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”

Read the full story here.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked for an update on his choice to lead the Department of Justice after firing Pam Bondi as attorney general earlier this month.

The president said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who had served as deputy attorney general under Bondi, is doing a "fantastic job."

"I know that because he’s been with me a long time. And so far, he’s doing a great job. But we have incredible people in the DOJ getting better all the time," the president said.

Trump was asked if he will apologize to Pope Leo XIV for the comments he made about him on Truth Social last night.

"No, I don’t, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran," Trump told reporters.

"I think he’s very weak on crime and other things. I mean, he went public. I’m just responding to Pope Leo," Trump said, adding that the pope's brother is a "MAGA" supporter.

In his post, Trump said the pope is "WEAK" and "terrible for Foreign Policy." He also said he's "Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons" and "does not site well with me."

Trump says he thought controversial AI image he shared depicted him 'as a doctor'

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While speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office this afternoon, Trump said that the Christ-like image he shared of himself on social media last night portrayed him as a doctor.

"It wasn’t a picture, it was me," he said. "I thought it was me as the doctor and it had to do with Red Cross."

He blamed the media for the description of the image as Trump embodying Jesus Christ. The image showed Trump in flowing white and red garments touching an ailing man's forehead as concentrated light emanates from his hands.

"How did they come up with that? It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better," he said.

The image was removed from Trump’s Truth Social account today after he received criticism from conservatives and others for the post.

A social media post on Trump’s page depicting him as a Christ-like savior appeared to have been removed after swift pushback, including from some of his own supporters.

The picture, posted last night, depicted Trump in a robe with his hand on the forehead of a bedridden man. Light surrounds the man’s head, and an orb of light floats in the president’s other hand. An American flag and the Statue of Liberty adorn the backdrop.

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When Trump first started talking about negotiating an end to the war with Iran a few weeks ago, Vice President JD Vance said he would be willing to lead the American delegation in any peace discussions, according to a senior White House official.

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The president's back-and-forth with Pope Leo is not the first time he has clashed with a pope. 

Though Trump praised Pope Francis following his death on April 21, 2025, and attended his funeral, the two had previously clashed, dating back to before Trump’s first presidential term. 

In February 2016, Francis said of then-candidate Trump’s promise to build a border wall: “A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” 

Trump responded by saying it’s “disgraceful” for the Catholic leader to question his faith and called Francis “a pawn” for the Mexican government.

But after taking office, Trump met with Francis at the Vatican in May 2017, and despite the meme-able picture where the pope looks very glum, Trump called it a “fantastic meeting” and the “honor of a lifetime.” 

LONDON — “Europe! Europe!” was the chant ringing out from the banks of the Danube after an election upset that was celebrated across the continent today as a stunning defeat for those threatening its security.

Presidents, prime ministers and European Union officials hailed the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in Hungary as a return to unity and shared values in the European Union, the 27-nation bloc that he criticized and sought to undermine.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said yesterday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The attacks Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narco-terrorists” in early September.

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Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner will host a rally with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on April 18 in Portland, Maine, his campaign told NBC News.

Warren recently endorsed Platner as he seeks to upset two-term Gov. Janet Mills, the favorite of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in the Democratic primary for the chance to take on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

A Platner aide previewed the rally, saying: “They will speak about flipping Maine’s Senate seat, taking on the billionaire class that is stealing from hardworking Americans, and working alongside each other in the Senate to hold Washington, Wall Street, and corporations accountable for rigging the system against working people.”

Most recent surveys show Platner, an oyster farmer and political newcomer, holding a significant lead over Mills. The primary election will take place June 9.

NEW ORLEANS — In rapid succession on Friday, three people stood from seats to disrupt a Democratic National Committee meeting, protesting U.S. funding of Israel and chiding the chair for breaking a promise of transparency.

“Why you afraid of AIPAC?” one woman shouted as security escorted her out of the Hilton Hotel meeting room. Another yelled directly at the DNC chair: “What are you hiding, Ken Martin?” “How many kids have you killed? F--- f---ing Israel!”

The outbursts were part of a push to pressure leaders into vowing to reject money from the major pro-Israel advocacy group and to call out atrocities committed against Palestinians. But as a major point of tension flared within the party, Democrats flew home from their spring meeting with little settled on what to say, even symbolically, on AIPAC.

AIPAC’s big-spending role in Democratic primaries has become a major issue in recent campaigns, and the question of whether to provide U.S. aid to Israel, even for defense, has become a litmus test in midterm primary contests — and for Democrats considering a 2028 presidential run.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was recently confronted with a leading question by a conservative journalist: “Why is the filibuster more important than stopping illegals from voting?”

He gave a candid answer: The 60-vote rule helps Republicans more than it helps Democrats.

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A coalition of Democratic groups today launched a $1 million ad campaign across broadcast and cable TV in support of Denise Powell, who is running in the Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd District.

The groups — EMILY’s List, Elect Democratic Women and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ BOLD PAC — have long supported Powell’s campaign in Nebraska, where Democrats hope to flip an open seat in November.

Powell is running in a crowded primary field against several other candidates, including state Sen. John Cavanaugh and Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades.

Democrats have long-eyed Nebraska’s 2nd District as a flip opportunity but are further energized by the prospect of winning this year in the wake of GOP Rep. Don Bacon’s decision to leave Congress at the end of this term. Bacon has represented the district since 2017 and has repeatedly beaten well-funded Democratic challengers to hold onto his seat.

Two booming, intertwined tech industries are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into U.S. elections through a complex web of political groups, as they prepare for how lawmakers decide to regulate them in the future. 

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ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday as “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” igniting a feud with the first American leader of the Catholic Church after the pontiff’s Iran war criticism.

The pope hit back, telling NBC News that he had no fear and vowing to keep up his appeals for peace that he said were rooted in the gospel.

Read the full story here.

Pope Pushes Back Against Trump in Feud Over Iran War

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Efforts to expel Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, from Congress gained bipartisan steam yesterday, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they would vote in favor of two separate measures to remove the congressmen following separate sexual misconduct allegations against each of them.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that he would vote in favor of expelling the two lawmakers from Congress, if given the opportunity, two days after multiple women accused Swalwell of sexual harassment and assault.

Read the full story here.

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell yesterday dropped his bid for governor of California days after a former aide accused him of sexually assaulting her.

“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell said in a post on X. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”

His statement follows a torrent of criticism from both sides of the aisle following a San Francisco Chronicle article published Friday in which the former staffer alleged she had sexual encounters with the congressman while working in his office and that he sexually assaulted her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent. NBC News has not verified her allegations but confirmed her identity and that she worked for Swalwell from 2019 until 2021.

Read the full story here.