Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is defending himself after private text messages were leaked in which he mocked fellow Democrats for their appearance and criticized them for not conforming to traditional gender norms.
In documents leaked to right-wing media, Gallego and a friend discuss his political future. At one point, a friend hinted that someone from the Democratic Party with a “cool head and a solid plan could come to the top,” he said. people magazine.
“Oh, have you met my party?” Gallego replied. “I was yelling at them the whole time.”
A friend of Mr. Gallego revealed that the senator has been talking about taking charge of the direction of the Democratic Party. “Seriously your [sic] I hope they start moving as much as they are struggling because they are getting a lot of great press. We believe you can be the one to rebuild and guide them,” they wrote.
A friend then shared an insulting meme featuring 82-year-old Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). She is known on Capitol Hill for her short-cropped, purple-streaked hair. This meme says, “If erectile dysfunction had a face.”
After sharing the meme, Gallego’s friend wrote: [Democrats]…”
“They’re not wrong,” Gallego replied, continuing, “We seem like the party of unfunny. We tell people and correct them all the time. We don’t accept that men are men. We don’t accept that women are sexy. We used to be the party of seconds.” [sic] Drugs and rock and roll. Now, Democratic women look like Democratic men, and Democratic men look like women. ”
In an interview with Phoenix ABC affiliate station KNXVGallego did not deny sending the texts and said he echoed the criticisms he has made publicly about his party. He called it “heartbreaking” that someone he considered a close friend and with whom he served had private conversations leaked.
“I’m more saddened that my friend decided to take advantage of this situation,” he told the station. He also defended the overall sentiment of the document, arguing that Democrats have become too critical and censorious of politically incorrect speech, especially from straight and cisgender men.
“I don’t think the Democratic Party is as inclusive as it should be, and that’s what I want to point out,” Gallego said. “We have to be a party that accommodates everyone…Our tent is getting too small, so we actually need to expand it to more people… [At] At least we have certain core values, so we shouldn’t try to exclude more people. ”
The 46-year-old former Marine, who made history as Arizona’s first Latino senator in 2024 after serving five terms in the House, has been mentioned by politically handicapped people as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, largely because of his strong performance with male voters and Latino voters, two groups that tilted sharply toward Donald Trump in the last presidential election.
He also outperformed other Democrats in support among non-college-educated voters, who are largely turning away from the party in the post-Obama era.
Mr. Gallego built a progressive record in the House but ran for the Senate on a more socially moderate and economically populist platform, struggling to connect with voters and frequently criticizing the national Democratic Party for relying on simplistic views of Latino voters, particularly Latino men.
Like several other Democrats, Gallego has echoed conservative talking points about transgender inclusion in sports. In a May interview with right-wing media dispatchHe said concerns about fairness and athlete safety in women’s designated sports are “legitimate.”
However, Gallego stops short of endorsing a categorical ban on transgender participation. Instead, he advocates for more local control over athlete eligibility and the ages at which sports should be played separately for men and women. He also suggested that parents encourage other activities for transgender athletes who do not want to compete as their birth gender.
Transgender journalist Erin Reid criticized Gallego in her book. Erin in the morning Substack accused him of trying to “appeal to the distortions of American politics that judge people by the people they love, their gender, and the diversity of their lives.”
She claimed that Gallego adopts a right-leaning view on gender expression, decrying “gender difference, transgender visibility, and the loss of transgender people’s perceived ‘masculinity.'” [Democratic] Instead of addressing material needs, they address the party’s agenda. ”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
