A wave of bodybuilding-themed videos hit social media over the weekend as Democrats tried to rebrand themselves as strong and energetic ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The most ridiculed of the bunch? California Congressman Eric Swalwell, who shared a video of himself bench pressing a modest amount of weight while accusing Republicans of covering for President Donald Trump.
“I should be working right now,” Swalwell says in the clip. “I should be at the Capitol. I should be in a suit.”
“Instead, Republicans sent us home because they would rather stand up for Donald Trump than release the Epstein files and stand up for victims.”
The video quickly drew scorn.
“I just want Eric Swalwell to bench more than 135# and Democrats to stop lying. Congress is always out of session in August no matter who is in charge. And yes release the Epstein files but Democrats stop pretending like you suddenly care because you never cared about Epstein while you were in charge the last 4 years!!!” Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said.
“If I was a grown man who could only bench 135, you’d never see it on video unless someone secretly recorded it, and even then I would never admit it was me,” conservative commentator Matt Walsh said.
Swalwell, 44, wasn’t the only Democrat flexing for the cameras. Senate candidate Colin Allred posted a clip curling a dumbbell while attacking Trump over the Epstein case. Cait Conley, a U.S. Army veteran running against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), showed off her overhead press while addressing cost-of-living issues in her New York district.
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed went viral for defending his lifting credentials after one viewer suggested he exaggerated the weight in his video.
“That’s 315, habibi,” El-Sayed replied — a post that has been viewed over 5 million times.
Democratic strategist Pat Dennis warned candidates not to overdo the performative stunts.
“I would caution Democrats against pulling out a checklist – ‘For young men, we’ll do some bench pressing; for young women, we’ll talk about the Barbie movie,’” he told CNN. “People don’t like checklists and they don’t like being pandered to. They remember you for who you are. You need to be authentic, in a way that is believable.”
While El-Sayed may gain ground in Michigan’s competitive primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters, critics say Swalwell has little to gain outside of party loyalty points — and plenty to lose in terms of credibility.
Swalwell has struggled to shake the lingering damage from his ties to suspected Chinese spy Fang Fang, who infiltrated Bay Area political circles. Though he was cleared of wrongdoing in 2023 after cooperating with the FBI, the incident remains a punchline for GOP lawmakers and conservative media.
He’s been heckled at town halls, blasted by colleagues during House hearings, and repeatedly mocked online — making his gym stunt the latest in a string of misfires.
“He has no base. No message. Just a bench press,” one Republican aide quipped.