'You falsely smeared my wife': Eric Swalwell reveals furious text exchange with Tucker Carlson

On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) posted screenshots of an angry argument between him and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who wanted to get him on the phone for a call.

"Tucker, I'm hesitant to do that. You falsely smeared my wife on Tuesday and she's getting death threats," said Swalwell, referring to a retracted Fox News story alleging that Swalwell's campaign funneled money to a business employing his wife. "That's way out of bounds. She's a pregnant mom of a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. Hit me all you like. But to go after her. That's just wrong."

"Carlson responded by calling the Democrat a 'coward' and then apparently phoning him a few minutes later," reported Blake Montgomery. "Swalwell tweeted, 'I'm just not that into you.'"

Swalwell, the second-highest ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has long been a target of rage for conservatives. Carlson has also accused Swalwell of aiding a Chinese spy — although experts have made clear that Swalwell in fact properly worked with the FBI to help upon learning the spy had tried to get information from him.