Press Release: Veteran Action Launches “Scumbag Senator Gallego Campaign”
Veteran Action has launched a digital ad campaign informing Iowa caucusgoers of Senator Ruben Gallego’s record of abandoning veterans. Gallego is visiting the Iowa State Fair and the Quad Cities for a town hall this week. He is rumored to be a 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
The hard-hitting ad says, “Scumbag Senator Ruben Gallego abandoned his 9-month-pregnant wife. It’s no surprise he’s now abandoning veterans. He voted against Sam Brown to be Secretary of Memorial Affairs for the VA. He’s working with other democrats to end veteran healthcare choice after eight years. Tell Gallego to stop abandoning veterans.”
Mark Lucas, founder of Veteran Action and long-time Iowa Caucus organizer, said, “Senator Gallego is a scumbag. Iowa caucusgoers will be disgusted to learn he abandoned his wife when she was 9-months pregnant. Veteran Action is also holding him accountable for abandoning veterans. Gallego is working with infamous Stolen Valor Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal to undermine President Trump’s historic victory delivering healthcare choice.”
Last week, Democrats on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee added language to the Veterans’ ACCESS Act that would sunset veterans’ access to community care after 8 years. Veteran Action is urging the Senate to remove this provision when debated on the floor.
This ad campaign is part of a broader 2028 presidential strategy by Veteran Action. The group launched a similar campaign when Pete Buttigieg visited Cedar Rapids for a veterans town hall event. The campaign informed Iowans about Buttigieg’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda for the military and Department of Veterans Affairs.
About Veteran Action
Veteran Action is a smash-mouth political organization advocating for America First policies that strengthen national security and provide unwavering support for our veterans. Since launching three months ago, Veteran Action has recruited 1,100 volunteers who contacted their lawmakers 4,600 times in support of President Trump’s nominees: Bridge Colby as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Matt Lohmeier as Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Sam Brown as VA Under Secretary of Memorial Affairs.
About Mark Lucas
Veteran Action founder Mark Lucas is a longtime conservative grassroots leader and Iowa Caucus organizer dating back to the 2000 Caucus. He helped organize the 2008 Iowa Straw Poll and Caucus as a member of the Republican State Central Committee. The Des Moines Register named him one of the 50 most wanted Republicans prior to the 2016 Iowa Caucus. Recently, he endorsed President Trump before the 2024 Iowa Caucus and hosted Fox News at his Iowa City caucus location.
Lucas previously served as the Executive Vice President of the Article III Project. He conducted a media blitz defending Pete Hegseth and the rest of President Trump’s cabinet. This effort recruited over 60,000 volunteers who contacted their lawmakers over 250,000 times.
As executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, he worked with President Trump and Congress to pass two of the most historic reforms in veterans health care: the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act and the VA MISSION Act.
Lucas served as an infantry officer in the Iowa Army National Guard and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star Medal in Afghanistan during the deadliest year of Operation Enduring Freedom. Lucas voluntarily deployed to South Korea during the height of tensions between the United States and North Korea.