Former U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York (left) sits down with comic Ziwe Fumudoh (proper) for a highly-anticipated interview about his views on Congress, private life and future plans. It printed on YouTube on Monday.
Ziwe/Screenshot by NPR
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Ziwe/Screenshot by NPR
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York (left) sits down with comic Ziwe Fumudoh (proper) for a highly-anticipated interview about his views on Congress, private life and future plans. It printed on YouTube on Monday.
Ziwe/Screenshot by NPR
On Dec. 1, scandal-plagued New York Republican George Santos grew to become simply the sixth member of the Home of Representatives to be expelled from Congress, over a rising checklist of alleged finance crimes and marketing campaign lies.
Santos pleaded not responsible in October to a complete of 23 federal felony prices, starting from wire fraud and cash laundering to theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the Home. A Home Ethics Committee report launched earlier this month corroborated a lot of prosecutors’ allegations — and precipitated his ouster.
The next day, Ziwe Fumudoh, a comic well-known for her satirical method to grilling controversial celebrities, tweeted him an invite for an interview, which he publicly accepted.
The “jokester and a nationwide joke,” as Ziwe put it, did find yourself sitting down collectively for a cringe-filled dialog. The highly-anticipated video lastly hit YouTube on Monday — and lots of viewers felt it didn’t disappoint.
The 18-minute video spans the whole lot from Santos’ views on his former colleagues (“they’re all frauds”) to his definition of empathy (“I could not outline it”) to his tackle Bowen Yang’s Saturday Evening Stay impression (“he deserves an EGOT”).
Different notable mentions embody Santos’ penchant for Botox (“since I am 25”), his husband’s final identify (“not telling you”), his view on drag queens (“not for teenagers”) and his response to claims that he carried out as a drag queen in Brazil within the aughts (“for a day once I was 18 years previous … I put on much more make-up in the present day”).
He addressed some viral moments from his tenure and teased plans for the long run: He isn’t occupied with Dancing with the Stars, is presently engaged on a e-book and will not rule out one other run for workplace down the highway, both as a Republican or an Impartial.
“I will be again. I am 35. They’re all of their 50s,” he stated of his colleagues in Congress. “I will outlive them, every and final one in all them.”
At one level Santos, who stated earlier this month that he is making extra money recording personalised Cameo movies than he did in authorities, answered a query absolutely on the minds of many: “What may we do to get you to go away?”
“Cease inviting me to your gigs,” he stated. “However you possibly can’t. As a result of folks need the content material.”
Here is what else we realized.
Santos’ authorized troubles saved arising
A fast recap: The Division of Justice introduced 13 federal prices (starting from fraud to embezzlement) towards Santos in Might, and one other 10 (together with identification theft, bank card fraud and conspiracy) in October. However he managed to survive two efforts to expel him from the Home.
The tide turned towards Santos this month after the discharge of the Home Ethics Committee report, which discovered “substantial proof” that he used marketing campaign funds for private bills, together with purchases from Sephora and OnlyFans.
Santos is ready to go on trial on Lengthy Island in September 2024, although courtroom data launched final week present that he’s in talks with federal prosecutors within the hopes of reaching a plea deal.
Santos’ alleged misconduct was each a throughline and a punchline of the interview, regardless of his request — in a sidebar on set — that Ziwe “be aware with the DOJ stuff.”
Ziwe repeatedly prompted Santos to say the phrase “icon,” the phrase she at all times used to explain her company on her self-titled satirical speak present, which ran on Showtime for 2 seasons. However on this case, it held a not-subtle double which means.
“You con!” she stated, pointing at him at one level.
At one level, she joked that she would ship him a pin so long as he declared it on his taxes. He responded affirmatively: “I like paying taxes.”
In probably the most tense exchanges, Ziwe requested: “What recommendation do you have got for younger numerous folks with character issues contemplating a profession in politics?”
Santos stared at her for a beat earlier than responding, “You are cute.”
She additionally requested him whether or not he likes the colour orange — to which he responded with “actually?” When requested what excites him most about going to jail, Santos answered, “that is a below-the-belt.”
“What advise do you have got for younger numerous folks with character issues contemplating a profession in politics?” – Ziwe to George Santos.
Somebody come decide me up off this flooring. pic.twitter.com/T4N07DGJLc
— 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔𝑴𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒊 (@THEEMISSMIAMI) December 18, 2023
As they spoke, a Hermès Birkin bag filled with money sat on a shelf behind Santos. Ziwe made a present of grabbing it on the finish of the interview.
She additionally signed him a replica of her e-book — scribbling out a message however not her signature. Santos jokingly famous that he “may want it later.”
Lawmakers and civil rights icons, as informed by Santos
Santos — who earlier this yr in contrast himself to Rosa Parks as a result of he refused to sit down behind Congress, and tried to downplay these remarks within the interview — obtained quizzed on a sequence of different notable civil rights figures.
When Ziwe requested what transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson meant to him, he elusively replied “very respectful, honorable individual — maintain going.” This response steered he was unfamiliar. He additionally acknowledged he did not know of author James Baldwin or politician Harvey Milk, the primary overtly homosexual man to be elected to public workplace in California.
However Santos did have loads of ideas on newsmakers of the day, particularly his former colleagues within the Home of Representatives. They weren’t flattering — he careworn that he wasn’t in Congress “to play good.”
“I used to be there to reveal the rot and corruption and I did,” he stated. “And I will proceed to do it. Republicans and Democrats alike, swampy, slimy folks promoting this nation down a river.”
Santos repeatedly sought to distance himself from Congress, saying he is not a politician and “hates politicking.”
“I used to be an elected public servant for 11 months, pleased with it, by no means caved to the institution of politics,” he stated.
When requested, Santos stated he may beat any member of Congress in a lip-sync battle. What tune would he select?
“‘I Will Survive,” he stated. “It is cliché. Why not?”
Santos says he ‘had a blast’
The interview has racked some 860,000 views on YouTube alone in simply over 24 hours because it went reside. Clips, quotes and scorching takes from the chat have been flooding social media.
Santos took to X, the social media platform previously often called Twitter, on Monday afternoon to replicate and try and right the document.
He took problem with an onscreen message at the beginning of the video that learn: “No congressmen had been paid within the making of this video … regardless that George Santos requested … thrice.”
Santos tweeted that he by no means requested Ziwe “for a single penny,” saying he and his staff had solely sought to know what her invitation meant by “pay per view” interview.
“Anyway, I had a blast going forwards and backwards with you and having enjoyable along with your robust as nails character!” he added. “Hold slaying mama!”
Ziwe has not commented publicly past sharing extra clips of the interview on social media.
Santos informed the Washington Submit on Sunday that Ziwe’s intense method to interviewing made him really feel like “I needed to match her power and being a bit of d*** myself.”
“She got here for me,” he added. “She had humorous puns, and she or he was witty with it. However I need to assume that I held my very own. And I had enjoyable with it, too.”
In the meantime, in New York, Republicans have chosen Mazi Pilip — a Nassau County legislator and former Israeli paratrooper — to problem Democratic former congressman Tom Suozzi for Santos’ previous seat. The particular election is scheduled for Feb. 13.
