Rep.-elect George Santos admits to lying about education, and work experience. Just like Biden and other lying politicians, Santos stretched the truth to the breaking point. Unlike Biden, he’s admitted it and that could spell the end of his political career.
On “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was guest-hosting in Tucker Carlson, grilled Santos on the claims and whether the voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional district should be able to trust the person they elected.
Gabbard asked Santos what the term “integrity” means to him in light of the revelations, to which the congressman-to-be replied it means to carry oneself “in an honorable way.” He repeated admitting to making a mistake.
“I think humans are flawed, and we all make mistakes, Tulsi,” he said. “I think we can all look at ourselves in the mirror and admit that once in our life we made a mistake. I’m having to admit this on national television for the whole country to see. And I have the courage to do so because I believe that in order to move past this and move forward and be an effective member of Congress, I have to face my mistakes, and I’m facing them.”
Santos said he nonetheless remains committed to the issues he campaigned on this year, saying he is “not a fraud” and worked “damn hard to get where I got my entire life.”
In response, Gabbard said integrity does mean carrying oneself with honor but also indicates commitment to the truth.
“[I]f I were one of those in New York’s third district right now, now that the election is over and I’m finding out all of these lies that you’ve told… my question is, do you have no shame?” Gabbard asked.
“Do you have no shame in the people who you’re asking to trust you to go and be their voice for them, their families and their kids in Washington?”
Santos retorted that President Biden had “lied to the American people for 40 years” about numerous areas of his own life, and asked if the left felt the same shame Gabbard does.
The president has frequently been chastised for exaggerating or inventing incidents, such as appearing to plagiarize a portion of a presentation from former British Labour Boss Neil Kinnock and his oft-repeated story of sparring with Wilmington gang leader “Corn Pop” in the 1960s.
“Democrats resoundingly support [Biden] – do they have no shame?” Santos asked.
Gabbard, who recently left the Democratic Party, replied that the issue is not about them in this case, but instead in deference to New Yorkers who elected Santos.
When pressed on questions about his Judaisim claims, Santos said he was raised Catholic but “always identified as Jewish” citing ancestry to that effect. (Santos claimed in an earlier interview he was “Jew-ish.”)
“I understand everybody wants to nitpick at me. I’m going to reassure this once and for all: I’m not a facade. I’m not a persona,” he said. “I have an extensive career that I worked really hard to achieve, and I’m going to deliver from my experience because I remain committed in delivering results for the American people.”
“I campaigned on inflation, I campaigned on crime. I campaigned on education. I campaigned on delivering results for the American people. That’s what the people of the 3rd congressional district heard me on and on as I campaigned. Now it’s going to be incumbent upon me to deliver on those results.”
Before closing the interview, Gabbard pressed Santos on claims he worked for Goldman Sachs and CitiGroup, which the guest host reported the companies have disputed.
Santos said the claim is “not false at all” but instead “debatable,” based on that the firm he served as vice president for – Link Bridge – did “extensive” business with the two financial giants.
The lawmaker-elect, however, sparked pushback from Gabbard when he remarked that a serious “discussion [about those claims is] going to go way above the American people’s head.”
“You just kind of highlighted, I think, my concern, the concern that people at home have. You’re saying that this discussion will go way above the heads of the American people, basically insulting their intelligence,” Gabbard replied.
Santos disagreed, saying he could easily explain the situation if given the time – later adding no one seems to “want to sit down and talk about it.”
“Everybody just wants to push me and call me a liar,” Santos said.
Watch
Gabbard said Santos owes his new constituents more time and explanation but moved to end the interview as Santos was clearly floundering. While I believe Santos should be held accountable I think that Democrats have set the stage where the truth is somehow relative now. Santos is clearly being ripped apart for lying, rightfully so, but shouldn’t we hold all politicians responsible for their lies—Or is that reserved only for Republicans?
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.