George Santos appears at State of the Union, announces run for office
NEW YORK - Former Republican Rep. George Santos of New York made a surprise appearance, moments before President Joe Biden began his address to Americans Thursday night for the annual State of the Union Address.
The disgraced congressman could be seen seated near the aisle on the GOP side.
Santos also announced that he’s running for Congress again in a post on X while attending the Address.
"After a lot of prayer and conversation with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up. Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over#NY1."
As a former member of Congress who was not convicted of any criminal charges--Santos retains the right to access the House floor.
Santos told reporters it was his first time being inside since he was booted from the House of Representatives late last year.
"I was just visiting with some of my colleagues in a very bipartisan fashion," Santos told reporters.
In one of Santos's last formal appearances, he warned lawmakers they would regret removing a member before they have had their day in court.
"This will haunt them in the future where mere allegations are sufficient to have members removed from office when duly elected by their people in their respective states and districts," Santos said.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) attends U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. This is Bi
Now, Santos says "After a lot of prayer and conversation with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up."
Santos was expelled in a 311-114 vote in Dec. 2023, after a blistering House Ethics Committee report that accused him of breaking federal law proved decisive.
Santos fought the expulsion effort leading up to the vote, even leading his own defense on the House floor and in press conferences.
"To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in," Rep. Nick LaLota said.
Several reports began to emerge that Santos had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree.
Representative George Santos, a Republican from New York, prior to a television interview on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Many said his presence in the House became a distraction and an embarrassment to the Republican Party.
"God bless you all, and we are off to the races!" Santos posted on X.
In a statement by Suffolk County GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia, he said: "The people have no appetite for this bad comedy show to continue. His candidacy and whatever petitions he might file will have the same level of credibility as the degree he claimed to have received from Baruch College. Nick LaLota is a common sense conservative and naval veteran who continues to fight for the hard-working families of Long Island. I’m confident the people of the First District will continue to overwhelmingly support Nick LaLota at the ballot box."