Evening Wire: FBI Seizes Eric Swalwell’s Phone & Tehran Preps 5000 Graves ‘For Americans’ | 8.20.26

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**John Bickley** (1:19)
Tehran is preparing 5,000 graves for Americans, according to their cemetery chief. Eric Swalwell's cell phone was seized by the FBI. And Harry and Megan are leaving Hollywood, finally. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, August 20th, this is Evening Wire.

**Georgia Howe** (1:37)
President Trump has warned Iran of, quote, economic D-Day. Meanwhile, Tehran's cemetery chief has prepared over 5,000 graves. He says, for Americans. Daily Wire foreign affairs reporter, Cassie Akiva, has the details.

**Cassie Akiva** (1:51)
President Trump is declaring what he calls an economic D-Day against Iran, warning countries and businesses that provide Tehran a financial lifeline that they will face, quote, tremendous economic consequences. Trump says the new measures are designed to cripple Iran's ability to finance terrorism after Tehran refused to make a deal. Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Argachi, called the campaign a distraction from America's debt and warned that it would bring, quote, further defeat.
Meanwhile, Tehran's public cemetery director, Mohammed Javid Tajik, says Iran has prepared 5,000 graves for potential American casualties, while Iran's army chief general, Amir Hatami, offered a $30,000 reward for anyone who kills or captures an American and turns them over to Iranian forces.

**John Bickley** (2:37)
The FBI seized former Congressman Eric Swalwell's cell phone over the weekend as part of an investigation into potential criminal activity. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce says the story.
According to the New York Post, agents met the disgraced ex-lawmaker at the San Francisco National Airport while others carried out a search of his Washington, DC home. The FBI reportedly seized a number of devices and other evidence. The news comes that Swalwell faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including a rape by a former staff member. Swalwell's political career collapsed during a run for California governor earlier this year after the allegations came to light. On top of those allegations, digging from House Republicans has revealed an inappropriate relationship Swalwell had with a Chinese spy.

**Georgia Howe** (3:20)
The DEA has joined the investigation into the death of Hayden Penetier. Law enforcement officials confirmed that the DEA will work alongside the Greenville Police Department and Coroner's Office. Preliminary reports show no obvious signs of trauma and suggest a possible overdose. An anonymous source told TMZ that police recovered Narcan, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses in the apartment. At the time of her death, Penetier was reportedly with her longtime on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. Hickerson previously faced multiple criminal charges related to domestic violence and was jailed for 45 days in 2021 after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.

**John Bickley** (4:01)
The convicted murderer of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, Carmelo Anthony, could receive a new sentence or even a new trial after the judge in his case was removed on Wednesday. Judge John Roach was taken off the case after he said in an interview that the jury in Anthony's case quote, got it right and defended his handling of the trial. Here's what that sounded like.

**Judge John Roach** (4:21)
Yeah, they did.

**SPEAKER_2** (4:22)
You know why?

**Judge John Roach** (4:23)
Because they were picked based upon the law.

**Georgia Howe** (4:26)
They listened to the facts.

**Judge John Roach** (4:29)
They happened here in this very courtroom. And they got a verdict.

**SPEAKER_2** (4:34)
And so that's the process.

**Judge John Roach** (4:36)
And whatever they say, they get it right.

**John Bickley** (4:40)
A new judge has been assigned to the case and heard arguments from Anthony's legal team this morning. Judge Michael Chitty now has just days to decide whether Anthony's conviction in 35-year prison sentence will stand.