Reed Galen

“This story came from some weirdos in Ohio or whatever but the point is that someone or something picked it up and amplified it to a point where – despite no evidence of reality – it became something that was an issue in the Texas Senate campaign.”

Reed Galen · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-15

Galen noted that someone amplified the story from obscure origins to the point where it became an issue in the Texas Senate campaign.

“Even if Talarico wins, that in and of itself was a win for the tactic. If you have the ability and the willingness to do this stuff, it’s not gonna work every time, but if you do it a lot, sometimes you’re gonna have success, and sometimes those successes might be strategic in nature, not just tactical.”

Reed Galen · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-15

Galen argued that even if Talarico wins, the disinformation tactic itself represents a win that could yield strategic successes.

“It was a bit wild but a good reminder to all of us how sophisticated, effective and efficient the rightwing/ bot/ Russian generated misinformation-disinformation machine is.”

Reed Galen · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-15

Galen said the episode was a reminder of how sophisticated and efficient the rightwing misinformation machine is.