Reps. Gallego and Swalwell Slammed for Shirtless Camel Riding in Qatar

Carson Swick | July 13, 2021 2:00 PM

Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) are facing intense backlash after a photo of them riding camels shirtless in Qatar surfaced online last week.

The photo, which was taken during a March 2021 trip, shows Gallego, Swalwell, and their wives each riding atop a camel at Qatar’s Sealine Beach. Interestingly, no one in the photo is wearing a face mask, despite it being taken when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended masks outdoors, even for fully vaccinated individuals.

Gallego’s fiance and now-wife, Sydney Barron Gallego, posted the photo to Instagram on Friday. Her account, @_sydney_b, has since been deleted from the platform.

But on Twitter, mockery of the camel-riding congressmen, especially Swalwell, was swift and clear.

Just when you thought Democrats couldn’t possibly get any weirder Eric Swalwell posts shirtless pictures of himself in Qatar.

And the trip was paid for by special-interest influencers. pic.twitter.com/AC9GmBfoeZ
— Tricia Flanagan (R-NJ) (@NewDayForNJ) July 13, 2021

Because sometimes Democratic congressmen need to ride shirtless on camels through Qatar during a pandemic on trips funded by special interest groups. (And yes, we have the photos.)

From @leonardkl and me: https://t.co/dnTQ8RRHeP
— Dave Levinthal (@davelevinthal) July 9, 2021

Gallego and Swalwell’s Qatar trip, which cost more than $84,000 in total, was funded by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council (USQBC), an organization that promotes trade and foreign investment between the two countries. In a statement obtained by The Washington Examiner, the council denied financing the camel-riding excursion.

“USQBC did not pay for any camel rides during the trip to Qatar,” the statement said. “As indicated in its filings required to obtain approval from the House Committee on Ethics, USQBC only covered costs directly associated with travel and the working agenda of the trip.”

House members must obtain approval from the House Committee on Ethics before taking most foreign trips, which Gallego and Swalwell did. However, House rules prohibit private groups from funding “entertainment activities” during foreign excursions.

Neither Gallego nor Swalwell has commented publicly on the bizarre incident, but Swalwell is well-versed in controversy. Last December, reports surfaced that the California congressmen may have had an affair with Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese spy who also goes by the name Christine Fang.

Reps. Luis Correa (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Lisa McClain (R-MI) also traveled to Qatar with Gallego and Swalwell, but their spouses apparently knew better than to post pictures from any activities they may have enjoyed.

In a trip organized by USQBC, members of the US House of Representatives including @RepSwalwell, @RubenGallego, @SaraJacobsCA, @RepLouCorrea, @RepLisaMcClain met with Qatari Amir @TamimBinHamad. pic.twitter.com/SeY2KWeYSs
— US-Qatar Business Council (@USQatar) April 1, 2021