New York GOP representative George Santos, who has found himself in a web of lies surrounding his professional and personal background, stepped down temporarily from the several House committees he was part of today. The committees were focused on small businesses and science. The congressman, who even found himself in a strange argument with drag queen Trixie Mattel , has now repeatedly been called upon to resign from his position.
Despite lying about his college degree, work history, and even fabricating Jewish heritage, the House of Representatives is unable to remove him without his consent. Santos’ resignation from several house committees this morning could prove an important step towards his resignation, a step that continues to divide the GOP members of the House.
Should Santos resign, it is unlikely that another Republican candidate would win over Nassau County, a traditionally Democrat-leaning area. The internet is still shocked that the mounting lies associated with Santos’ campaign are not enough to oust him from the House all together. Some activists and Democrat voters are pointing out the hypocrisy of the situation, considering that several other GOP members of the House have publicly made factually incorrect statements, notably Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Rep. George Santos is too much of a liar for the Republican Party, which is like being too tall to play basketball, too wet to be a fish, or too dumb to wear a MAGA hat. pic.twitter.com/DQYLMDjF20
— Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) January 31, 2023
Twitter couldn’t get enough of the strange humor of it all.
Rep. George Santos, All Republicans, Delusional. Twitter is spot on today. #morningjoe #maddow #tuesdayvibe pic.twitter.com/cO137iN6Er
— Speak Responsibly – Facts Matter (@SpeakFreely55) January 31, 2023
Others pointed out how Santos ran entirely on bringing diversity to the Republican party, only to disgrace the communities he claimed to champion.
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Rep. George Santos is the first openly gay & famous Republican drag queen to serve in the US House of Representatives.
He is also the first US Rep. to scam a Navy veteran & his service dog while simultaneously lying about the holocaust, 9/11 & every campaign donation received.
— Kyla in the Burgh ????☠️???? (@KylaInTheBurgh) January 31, 2023
78% of voters in the 3rd congressional district in which he was elected want Santos to resign, according to a recent poll.
"By a 6-1 ratio, voters in Rep. George Santos’ congressional district want him to resign since his lies about his education, family history and work profile have been revealed, according to a new Newsday/Siena College poll." https://t.co/GVYjkPyrKL
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 31, 2023
Some feel that Santos’ removal of himself from the special committees could signify a resignation around the corner, especially amid the recent voting poll. However, he continues to refuse to resign.
I asked Rep. George Santos why he decided to recuse himself from sitting on committees.
"We'll be issuing you guys a statement soon," he told me.
I also asked if he was now considering resigning — he said "no I'm not," before walking into his office.
— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) January 31, 2023
Recently appointed Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy remains tight-lipped about the Santos situation. He gave a long winded-answer about what called the “broken” state of congress on Monday. Santos said today that his decision to step down from his committees was not the result of an earlier meeting with Speaker McCarthy.
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JUST NOW: GOP Rep. George Santos was just asked by @rachelvscott if McCarthy forced him to step down from his committee assignments
His response: “Nobody tells me to do anything I made the decision on my own that I thought best represented the interest of the voters.” pic.twitter.com/SHLZpaykcv— Camila DeChalus (@cdechalus) January 31, 2023
Despite Santos’ statements to reporters today, his legal troubles continue to grow, and analysts believe that regardless of what he says, a resignation could certainly still be around the corner.
"Rep. George Santos (R-NY) stepping down from committees is a sign that his legal problems are growing, and his time in Congress could end soon."
https://t.co/HfndPUTkYY via @politicususa
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 31, 2023
The recusal from the House committees comes just days after more news broke of a Navy veteran named Richard Osthoff claiming that Santos stole $3,000 from a GoFund Me page dedicated to his dog’s cancer treatment.
Navy veteran who claims Rep. George Santos cheated him out of $3,000 collected from a GoFundMe intended for his dying dog's cancer treatment says he plans to have criminal charges brought upon the Congressman.
????: https://t.co/eh9kbjCBld pic.twitter.com/e4vViau4Ce
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 29, 2023
Osthoff’s claims are only the latest in a mounting pile of accusations that led to a House Ethics investigation. If the investigation further proves many of Santos’ controversies to be true, he could face dire consequences. Should he resign, he could still skirt some of the legal consequences of his actions.
The investigation remains ongoing, and could result in Santos’ expulsion if he does not resign in the meantime.
