Calls grow for Eric Swalwell to resign from House amid sexual assault allegations – US politics live

The California Democrat suspended his campaign for governor amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women

• Full report – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/eric-swalwell-quits-california-governor">Swalwell quits California governor race

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Representative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california">California, has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women.

Pope Leo XIV has said he has “no intention” of debating president Donald Trump over the Iran war.

This comes after Leo suggested over the weekend that “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran.

In response, Trump said he doesn’t think the pontiff is not “doing a very good job” and that the US-born leader of the Catholic church was “a very liberal person”. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said in a social media post, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Leo said: “I have no intention to debate with (Trump).

The message is the same: to promote peace.”

Trump has said the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.

The US Central Command said later it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 2pm GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.