President Donald Trump isn’t exactly rushing to save former Rep. George Santos (D-NY).
During a Friday appearance on Newsmax, Trump was asked whether he would consider pardoning the disgraced former congressman now serving a seven-year sentence for fraud. His answer was blunt.
“He lied like hell, I have to tell you,” Trump said. “And I didn’t know him, but he was 100% for Trump. I might have met him, maybe, maybe not, I don’t know.”
Trump added, “Nobody has talked to me about it,” regarding the idea of a pardon. When host Rob Finnerty noted Santos’ prison time, Trump said, “It’s a long time.”
Santos, 37, pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors said he fabricated $250,000 in donations to qualify for the GOP’s “Young Guns” program. He also stole from elderly donors and used their credit cards for Botox, OnlyFans, and designer clothes.
The fallout was massive. Santos became just the sixth member ever expelled from the House, in a bipartisan vote. But even as he heads to prison, he hasn’t stayed quiet.
He launched a podcast, “Pants on Fire,” and admitted he had quietly lobbied Trump for a pardon. By May, though, he