George Santos compares himself to Mary Magdalene and dares colleagues to expel him

It sounds like scandal-hit NYC Rep. George Santos knows that his days are numbered. After the damning, 56-page report by the House Ethics Committee into his behavior, and the federal charges he faces relating to wire fraud and identity theft, the question of his departing Congress is not ‘if’ but ‘when’.

Santos has already said he won’t run for re-election next year. However, just before Thanksgiving, the chair of the Ethics Committee, fellow Republican Michael Guest, introduced another motion to expel Santos. Guest can force a vote on the motion when lawmakers return from their Thanksgiving break later this week.

Santos took part in a ‘Spaces’ live discussion on X on Friday night. He all but admitted he was likely to be expelled.

“I know I’m going to get expelled when this expulsion resolution goes to the floor,” he said. “I’ve done the math over and over, and it doesn’t look really good.”

Santos refused to be drawn on the specifics of the Ethics report, saying he was unable to do so because of his fight against the federal charges he faces. However, he called it “slanderous” and “designed to force me out of my seat.”

“It Girl” Santos

He went on to reflect on his journey from being a Republican “It girl” to a misunderstood pariah.

“I was, as we joke around a lot in my circles were like: ‘Oh my God you were the It Girl. Everybody wanted you.’ Until nobody wanted me,'” Santos told media personality Monica Matthews.

“They all act like they’re in ivory towers with white pointy hats and they’re untouchable. Within the ranks of the United States Congress there’s felons galore,” Santos continued. “There’s people with all sorts of sheisty backgrounds and all of a sudden George Santos is the Mary Magdalene of United States Congress.”

Biblical figure Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. In past centuries she was widely portrayed as a sex worker, although contemporary scholars view this as erroneous. The Catholic Church made her a saint in the 1600s.

Santos went on to dare his colleagues to act. This included goading Guest: “Stop being a p*ssy and call the damn motion.”

At another point, he said the “sheer arrogance” of his colleagues had prompted his decision not to stand for re-election.

“These people need to understand it’s done when I say it’s done, when I want it to be done, not when they want it to be done,” he added. “That’s kind of where we are there.”

Robert Garcia

At one point, Rep. Robert Garcia joined the conversation. Like Santos, the Californian Democrat is gay and in his first term in Congress. However, that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The two men have often sparred with one another on social media.

Garcia said Santos needs to offer “a direct apology … to the American people” and his constituents.

Garcia repeated this in an interview with MSNBC over the weekend. He also expressed confidence that Santos would be expelled.

“I think we do.” @RobertGarcia believes the House has enough votes to expel Rep. George Santos when they return from Thanksgiving break. pic.twitter.com/REx7sgPyiR

— American Voices with Alicia Menendez (@AliciaOnMSNBC) November 26, 2023

If Santos is expelled, he’ll become only the sixth Representative booted out by colleagues in the history of the House. Three of the others were kicked out in the 1860s for supporting the Confederate rebellion. 

Related:

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