New Jersey Republican Steve Lonegan Brushes Off Wife's Hand

After losing a New Jersey Senate seat to Cory Booker, Republican Steve Lonegan brushed away his wife's gesture and it was all caught on camera. INSIDE EDITION reports.

Video has surfaced of a politician who seems to be giving his wife the brush-off and it's causing him a lot of grief.

It happened as Steve Lonegan lost to Democrat Cory Booker in a special election to fill New Jersey's vacant U.S. Senate seat.

Lonegan's wife gently rubbed her husband's shoulder to comfort him during a concession speech on Tuesday night, but he seemed to rudely brush her hand away.

The video went viral today with comments like: "That was a pretty cold thing to do to your wife" and "Sore loser."

The New York Daily News called it "awkward" and said Lonegan was bristling at his wife's touch.

The Today show joined the chorus of criticism as Willie Geist showed the video and noted, "Brushing his wife's hand off the shoulder. It was a tough moment."

But is the video all that it seems to be?

Lonegan is legally blind and has to be led everywhere he goes. 

INSIDE EDITION spoke to him and his wife, Lorraine, at their home today.  

Lorraine told INSIDE EDITION, "Because of his visual impairment, he is often moved around by his staff if he is not facing the correct way. So, my touching him during an extremely important speech, he was caught off guard."

Steve Lonegan tells INSIDE EDITION he didn't know it was his wife's hand on his shoulder.

"I just assumed it was one of my staff people moving me into position again, as we have done throughout the campaign because I don't see," said Steve.

Holding hands with her husband, Lorraine says there's no brush-off for her, saying, "Here's our hands. These hands have been together 32 years. These hands belong together and they are together."