US Congressman Eric Swalwell was forced to deny loudly passing gas during a live interview on MSNBC on Monday after a clip of the incident went viral.

The California Democrat, who briefly ran for the 2020 presidential nomination, appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews when the sound cut into the audio.

Matthews had asked Swalwell, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, about evidence submitted in the impeachment proceedings looking into President Donald Trump's alleged quid pro quo phone call with Ukraine's president this summer.

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US Congressman Eric Swalwell (pictured) denied he was responsible for what sounds like someone passing gas during his live interview Monday on MSNBC

The California Democrat, who briefly ran for the 2020 Democratic nomination, appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews when the sound cut into the audio

'The evidence .. is uncontradicted, he starts his response with an unusual pause in the beginning, before continuing, 'that the president used tax payer dollars to ask the Ukrainians to help him cheat.. an election.'

The sound is heard during his second pause, as the congressman bounces slightly.

Swalwell later told a Buzzfeed reporter that it wasn't him.

'It was not me!!!!!,' he tells the reporter, Addy Baird, who posted the texted conversation on Twitter.

Swalwell later told a reporter that it wasn't him. 'It was not me!!!!!,' he said in a text conversation that was later tweeted out

The reporters commends the congressman in their text exchange for being a 'good sport'

'Ha. And I didn't hear it when I was speaking,' Swalwell adds.

When pressed why he was 'stifling a laugh,' the congressman responds, 'I def did not hear it'.

He concedes later that he did think 'It's funny tho'.

The incident was a literal stinker for Swalwell as commentators jumped on the scandal.

Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra tweeted about the embarrassing MSNBC clip (pictured) which began trending as #fartgate

Sean Davis, co-founder of conservative online magazine The Federalist, saw the congressman's denial and evoked an old school-yard catch phrase

'Eric Swalwell appears to drop a massive fart during live television. Turn the sound on, this is real', tweeted Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra.

Sean Davis, co-founder of conservative online magazine The Federalist, saw the congressman's denial and evoked an old school-yard catch phrase to fit the moment.

'He who denied it supplied it. Everyone knows this', tweeted Davis, with a link back to Baird's tweet with the congressman's denial.

Even President Trump's son Donald Jr. had to get in a jab on Twitter (pictured), saying it was the 'most intelligible thing to come out of Swalwell in years'

The embarrassing incident went viral, trending as #fartgate.

Even President Trump's son had to get in a jab.

'Most intelligible thing to come out of Swalwell in years,' he tweeted.

Eventually, Hardball tweeted an explanation for the sound: 'Sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists - it was the #hardball mug scrapping across the desk. Get yours today and let's get back to news,' just before 11 p.m., in a post that linked to the MSNBC store where the $16.95 mug was for sale.

Social media posteres responded with skepticism. Lizzy Lou Who, a right-winger who uses the hashtag @_wintergirl93, posted a meme of the comedian Will Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy from the 'Anchor Man' film series saying 'I don't believe you'.