Gallego pulls endorsement days after defending California Rep. accused of sexual assault

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego D-Arizona, pulled his endorsement of California gubernatorial hopeful Eric Swalwell on Friday, following reporting that an ex-staffer accused the congressman of sexual assault. 

Gallego’s change of heart came days after he took to social media to defend Swalwell against those allegations. Swalwell is one of Gallego’s closest friends in Congress. 

Gallego was just one of a slew of people who quickly fled from Swalwell on Friday after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Swalwell assaulted the woman twice when she was too drunk to consent. Several staffers left the campaign shortly before the report was published. 

“What is described is indefensible,” Gallego said in a Friday afternoon statement. “Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed. I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.” 

Just three days earlier on April 7, Gallego replied to a social media account that had claimed multiple women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, implying that the poster wasn’t trustworthy. 

“This person started to (sic) posting for the first time 3 days ago…,” Gallego wrote. 

In another post on the same day, Gallego exhibited his continued support for Swalwell. 

“When you are in first place, is when they target you,” he wrote. “Eric is a fighter and he will win the Governors race.”

Gallego is one of many Democrats being floated as a possible presidential candidate in 2028. His appeal comes from his background as a Marine from a working class family who has won elections in the historically-red leaning Grand Canyon State. 

Most recently he defeated MAGA candidate Kari Lake to take one of Arizona’s Senate seats in 2024. Earlier this week Gallego said that he’s leaving the door open to a possible presidential run. 

But Swalwell isn’t Gallego’s only questionable endorsement this election cycle. 

Gallego also endorsed Graham Platner to represent the Democratic Party in the Senate in Maine, despite the first-time candidate’s multiple links to antisemitism, including a tattoo that resembled a symbol used during Hitler’s regime.

In late February, Platner reposted social media content from neo-Nazi influencer Stew Peters, whose online talk show regularly includes antisemitic tropes. After that, reporters found that in January Platner had been a guest on a popular YouTube show whose host has spread antisemitic claims about Jews and Israel.

Gallego’s endorsement came after Platner’s ties to antisemitism, as well as racist and homophobic comments he made on Reddit, were made public, drawing criticism from both supporters and foes. 

The senator’s initial support for Swalwell, despite the sexual assault allegations, also drew swift criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.