Staff Reports
Utah Senator Mitt Romney and New York Representative George Santos had a contentious interaction as Romney entered the chamber for the State of the Union Address. According to reports, Romney told Santos “You don’t belong here,” which Romney later confirmed to the media. Santos, a first-term Congressman, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for lying about his past, campaign finance issues, and a charity scheme involving a U.S. Navy veteran’s dog, as well as an FBI investigation.
MITT on Santos: “He shouldn't be in Congress. And they're gonna go through the process and hopefully get him out. But he shouldn't be there and if he had any shame at all, he wouldn't be there.” pic.twitter.com/9cAQ2dsO1V
— Alan He (@alanhe) February 8, 2023
Senator Romney took issue with Santos’ deceptive behavior, such as falsely claiming to have graduated from a university, which he considered more than mere exaggeration. He also stated that if Santos had any sense of shame, he would not be in attendance. Santos shared his conversation with Senator Romney with journalist Kadia Goba, who then posted it on Twitter, in response to Romney’s comment.
Rep. George Santos describes, to me, his exchange with Sen. Mitt Romney during the State of the Union tonight:
Mitt: You don’t belong here.
Santos: Go tell that to the 142K that voted for me.
Mitt: You’re an ass.
Santos: You’re a much bigger asshole.
— Kadia Goba (@kadiagoba) February 8, 2023
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not yet demanded the resignation of the GOP freshman but has assured CNN that he will take action once the ethics investigation has concluded. He stated that the Ethics Committee is conducting its investigation and that if any wrongdoing is found, action will be taken. McCarthy also noted that until the investigation is completed, Santos will be excluded from serving on any committees due to the ongoing questions surrounding him.
Romney’s comments have sparked debate among many as to whether or not Santos should be allowed to remain in Congress. While some are in agreement with Romney and believe that Santos should not be allowed to remain in Congress due to his deceptions, others believe that the investigation should be allowed to play out before any decisions are made. Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that Romney’s comments have brought attention to the situation and have sparked an important conversation about ethics in politics.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
