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A sudden sound during Eric Swalwell’s November 18, 2019 appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews was widely interpreted online as a fart. Swalwell denied being responsible, and the show’s account said a mug scraped across the desk. Contemporaneous reporting did not establish which explanation was correct.
What happened during the interview?
Swalwell, then a California representative, appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews on Monday, November 18, 2019, to discuss the Trump impeachment inquiry. A sudden noise is audible during the segment. Viewers quickly described it online as flatulence, and the moment drew widespread attention the following day.
The sound’s resemblance to a fart is what prompted the jokes and headlines; it does not, by itself, identify its source. The Week framed the question as whether Swalwell had “really submit[ted] to a massive attack of flatulence on live national television,” while the Daily Caller asked, “Did Eric Swalwell Just Fart Live On MSNBC?” Those were questions and reactions, not confirmation.
What did Swalwell and the show say?
Swalwell’s response
Swalwell denied that he farted and said he had not heard the sound. He later retweeted the show’s explanation with the words “TOTAL EXONERATION!”
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The show’s explanation
The Hardball account attributed the noise to a mug scraping across the desk, writing: “Sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists – it was the #hardball mug scraping across the desk. Get yours today and let’s get back to the news!” The statement appeared alongside a link to the show’s mug shop.
Was the sound’s source confirmed?
No. The show’s mug explanation was an account of what happened, not independent verification, and Swalwell denied responsibility. Contemporaneous coverage, including Stern’s November 20 report, left the sound’s actual origin unresolved. The clip establishes that a sudden sound occurred; it does not settle whether it came from a mug, Swalwell, or another source.
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Why did the clip become known as “Fartgate”?
The contrast between an audible noise and competing explanations made the brief interview moment an easy target for online jokes. TheWrap reported that #ShartGate and #FartGate were trending nationally on Twitter on the morning of November 19, 2019, but gave no count. The labels captured the online reaction, not a verified finding about the sound.
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