Gallego’s Family-Man Post Triggers 2016 Divorce Backlash as Donor-Spending Scrutiny Swirls
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 25
Gallego’s Family-Man Post Triggers 2016 Divorce Backlash as Donor-Spending Scrutiny Swirls
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 25
Summary
Ruben Gallego drew immediate backlash after posting that he took two months off during his Senate race to care for his wife and newborn, casting himself as a husband and father who put family above politics.
2016 quickly became the focus of the response: critics revived that Gallego served his first wife divorce papers when she was nine months pregnant, with Republicans and former Jill Biden spokesman Michael LaRosa calling the post tone-deaf.
Sydney Gallego pushed back after Fox News Digital contacted the senator’s office, saying she and Gallego met more than a year after his divorce and rejecting claims their relationship began while he was still married.
The flare-up lands as Gallego faces questions over campaign spending, including Politico reporting on family travel, Disneyland and Super Bowl tickets; he has defended such expenses by saying candidates must go "where the money is" to raise funds.
The renewed scrutiny also comes as Gallego is reportedly weighing a 2028 presidential bid, raising the stakes around both his personal narrative and campaign-finance defenses.