President Donald Trump was met with boos on Friday after he singled out embattled Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales during a speech at the Port of Corpus Christi. Trump offered unexplained 'congratulations' to the lawmaker, who is embroiled in a scandal over an alleged affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
The remark drew a mixed reaction from the crowd, with noticeable jeers cutting through the applause. Trump did not clarify what Gonzales was being congratulated for. The president was in Texas to highlight US energy production, but the brief aside to Gonzales quickly overshadowed the policy-focused event.
Gonzales, a married father of six, has been under intense scrutiny following reports of an alleged affair with his former regional district director, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles. Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire; her death was ruled a suicide. She was a married mother of one.
The scandal has roiled Gonzales's reelection campaign as early voting in Texas's Republican primary gets underway. Gonzales has struck a defiant tone, saying, 'I will not resign. I work every day for the people of Texas.' He has called the allegations 'personal smears' and said he will not be 'blackmailed.'
Santos-Aviles's husband, Adrian Aviles, claims to possess a cache of text messages between his wife and Gonzales. He told CNN, 'The man has no values. He runs his whole campaign on family values... He's actually quite a sick man.' Alleged text messages published show Gonzales asking for a 'sexy pic,' to which Santos-Aviles replied, 'This is going too far, boss.'
Several Republicans, including Reps. Chip Roy, Lauren Boebert, and Thomas Massie, have called on Gonzales to resign. The House's code of conduct prohibits members from engaging in sexual relationships with employees in their offices, and Gonzales is under review by the Office of Congressional Conduct.
