Swalwell says former NFL player threatened to execute him

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that a former NFL player threatened him with execution on Twitter.

“Who is this guy threatening to execute me? And how does he have so many followers?” Swalwell asked on Twitter, posting a direct message from an account that appears to belong to former San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Bruce Miller.

The message read, “Almost time!!! Would you rather Guantanamo or just execution,” followed by several laughing emojis and ending with “f—– traitor.”

Swalwell said in an update Thursday that the 49ers had reached out to him about the “threat from a former player.”

“As a lifelong member of The Faithful, I appreciate them sharing their concern,” he tweeted, referring to the name for 49ers fans.

Swalwell reported the threat to U.S. Capitol Police, according to CBS News Bay Area. Capitol Police declined to provide additional details.

“For safety reasons, we cannot discuss potential investigations or the security measures that are put into place for protecting Members of Congress,” they said in a statement.

The account that sent the original message responded Thursday, claiming that the message was a “harmless game of ‘would you rather.’”

“I was content with trolling corrupt politicians in my dm’s, but since you want to make a story out of it then that’s what we’ll do,” he tweeted. “That was in no way a threat to you or you family.”

Swalwell has previously said that attacks from Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) inspired death threats against him. 

McCarthy kicked Swalwell off the House Intelligence Committee in January, citing concerns over the California Democrat’s connection to a suspected Chinese spy who worked on his 2014 campaign. Swalwell reportedly cut ties with the Chinese national when the FBI informed him of her identity.