Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.), who has been knee deep in controversy over his apparent affinity for lies and falsehoods, named fellow fib pusher and former President Donald Trump as an inspiration behind his initial run for Congress in 2020.
Santos named the former president as a source of inspiration in a 2021 clip shared by Twitter account @PatriotTakes, which monitors right-wing extremism, on Wednesday.
The New York Republican told Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, that Trump ― who reportedly made over 30,000 false or misleading claims during his one term in office ― is the “most organic president in the history of our nation.”
“[He] shocked the nation, shocked the world and these people love him. Why? It took a billionaire to become… the little man’s president,” Santos said of Trump’s 2016 election win.
He later added: “I went to business school because of Donald Trump. I ran for Congress because I thought Donald Trump, if he made it, it was time for everyone to have an opportunity. The Democrats can’t take that away.”
Santos initially ran to replace Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) in 2020, however, he later lost to the incumbent by a margin of roughly 46,000 votes.
Santos, much like Trump, suggested his election loss was a result of fraud. He waited until two weeks after Election Day to concede to his opponent.
Santos, who has faced several calls for his resignation and is reportedly facing at least two investigations, also referred to the former president’s “full awesomeness” on Jan. 6, 2021, during his appearance on Lara Trump’s show.
The comments came over a month after he condemned the violence during the Capitol riot, which he described as a “sad and dark” day in U.S. history in recently resurfaced tweets.
You can watch Santos’ refreshed opinion on Jan. 6 below.
