Ruben Gallego faces backlash after critics recall pregnant wife divorce

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., was immediately reminded of how he served his 9-month pregnant wife with divorce papers in 2016 as he now attempts to fend off campaign finance scrutiny with family-friendly characterizations.

“My daughter Isla was born right in the middle of my Senate campaign. One of the most competitive races in the country. And instead of staying out there campaigning, I took two months off,” Gallego said in a video he posted on social media.

“My wife had just been through an unplanned C-section. I wanted to be there for her, and for our newborn because being a husband and a father matters more to me than any campaign, or any job,” he continued. 

Conservatives and a former Jill Biden spokesperson quickly fired back on his portrayal, which comes amid a whirlwind of questions around whether he used donor cash as a personal slush fund, and comes as Gallego is reportedly eyeing a presidential 2028 bid.

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“He’s either terribly arrogant or has zero self awareness,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said on X. “Probably both. And who’s running his comms operation that thought this post would go over well? 

“Just unbelievably bad instincts to post this given what everybody knows about his history. The ratio was entirely predictable and now even more people will learn about his behavior,” GOP consultant Matt Wolking said on X.

“Do you think people are unaware that you left your first wife when she was about to deliver your baby?” Matt Whitlock, a former adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said on X. 

The campaign account for Kari Lake, once a Republican challenger to Gallego, also fired back.

“To clarify: this child is from your second marriage, after you left your first wife nine months pregnant to be with your lobbyist mistress — correct?” the account said in a post. 

“You literally gave your wife divorce papers when she was 9 months pregnant. You think people are just not gonna call you on that???” Matt Van Swol, a former nuclear scientist at the Department of Energy, said on X.

Katie Miller, the wife of White House policy advisor Stephen Miller, also chimed in.

“Ruben Gallego served his wife divorce papers when she was nine months pregnant. He then entered into a relationship with a 25-year-old lobbyist,” Miller said.

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Shortly after Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego’s office Wednesday, Gallego’s current wife, Sydney Gallego, told Miller on X to “Check your facts.” 

“Ruben & I didn’t even meet until years later. Our whole family has a strong relationship. Wish I was surprised that Katie Miller’s lying about us. But these are the same sick people who want ICE ripping families apart. It’s not about family at all.”

“Thanks Katie for providing that clarification that Ruben and I met over a year and a half after his divorce, not while he was still married. Maybe once and for all the lies about the origin of our relationship will subside. Appreciate your help making that happen,” Gallego’s wife wrote in a separate post.

In addition to conservatives, former Jill Biden spokesperson Michael Larosa ripped Gallego on X.

“Yes, Ruben Gallego was so vital to his wife’s maternal health that when she was pregnant, he didn’t take time off to support her—he served her with divorce papers ahead of delivery,” he said. “What man doesn’t do that to improve his wife’s recovery?”

Gallego has fended off allegations of donor-funded travel and luxury purchases by arguing that he is a regular parent who sometimes brings his kids and family to fundraising functions.

“Are these at nice venues? Yes, it’s where the donors are and it’s part of campaigning,” Gallego wrote online on Monday.

But observers noted that recent reporting from Politico suggested Gallego used campaign funds for family travel, Disneyland and Super Bowl tickets — items that don’t seem to fall neatly under campaign activities.

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“The Super Bowl was in Arizona, I represent Arizona,” Gallego told Fox News Digital. “We threw a Super Bowl fundraiser in Arizona where we raised money for my election in 2023. That’s what you do.” 

“You have to go where the money is to raise money,” Gallego added.