By Mark Alan

Remember Congressman Eric Swalwell? He’s the Democrat from California who recently proposed a ban on semi-automatic rifles in the United States. The ban that would involve confiscation of the weapons through a mandatory buyback, and would criminalize those who refused to turn their weapons in. However, it was Swalwell’s response to another Twitter user that put him in the spotlight.

Swalwell began arguing with a man on Twitter who said he would never give up his firearms, preferring war to being disarmed. In response, Swalwell told the man it would be a short war because the government would use nuclear weapons against its own people to achieve the gun ban. You can read the tweet for yourself:

Shocked by the congressman’s bizarre comments, Twitter users pointed out the hypocrisy of advocating the indiscriminate use of nuclear weapons to achieve a gun ban. It’s also worth noting that Swalwell posted the tweet on the afternoon of his birthday, leading many to suggest that he may have been intoxicated while tweeting. That would certainly help to explain his incredibly thoughtless comments.

Instead of apologizing for his tweet, Swalwell chose a different strategy. He simply claimed it was a joke. Unsurprisingly, most of the media chose to ignore the story. Outrage regarding his comments never really made it beyond social media savvy internet users, as the story failed to gain national attention.

That wasn’t the first time Swalwell was criticized for his comments on Twitter. He previously used Twitter to mock Republican Senator Susan Collins after she received death threats. Swalwell later deleted the tweet and apologized.

Considering Swalwell’s past comments, many were surprised by Politico’s report that he intends to run for president in 2020. According to the report, the congressman has already traveled to Iowa and several other early voting states. He has also allegedly put together a list of potential staffers for the campaign.

While Swalwell’s past comments may not have affected his popularity among his constituents in California, voters across the rest of the country will have a much different attitude toward his statements. Although much of the media chose to ignore his previous comments, the scrutiny of a presidential run will make them unavoidable. They probably won’t affect his ability to win the nomination of the Democratic Party, but he would be absolutely devastated by them in the general election.

Democrats would be wise to stay far away from Congressman Swalwell during the 2020 primary. His tendency to make reckless statements is problematic for his potential candidacy, but it’s more than that. He’s already made too many mistakes, and his proposed gun ban is not as popular as he would like it to be. The man is unelectable in the general election.

Swalwell is an even more divisive candidate than Hillary Clinton was in 2016, and quite frankly, she has a better chance of becoming president in 2020 than he does. Swalwell has already dug a hole he’ll never be able to get out of. His past comments will alienate too many of the independent and moderate voters he needs to win the presidency. Regardless, Swalwell is probably pretty excited about his potential 2020 presidential run, and so are plenty of Republicans who view him as the weakest candidate the Democrats have to offer.

As a matter of fact, one of Swalwell’s Republican well-wishers has already created a Nike themed ad for his 2020 presidential campaign!