On February 7th, 2023, during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, a heated exchange took place between Senator Mitt Romney and George Santos. The incident was caught on camera and quickly spread across social media. Various news outlets, including TMZ, followed up on the incident, with TMZ reporting that Romney was upset with Santos’s presence.
Video Footage Shows the Details of the Confrontation
TMZ shared video footage in which Senator Romney approached Santos and said some words. In addition, the video shows several other lawmakers present and alive to the incident. According to TMZ, Senator Romney was visibly angry at Congressman Santos, telling him that he did not belong to Congress. “You ought to be embarrassed,” Romney is said to have told Santos.
George Santos is a former aide to former president Donald Trump. Trump is also Romney’s principal nemesis in the Republican Party. They went head to head in the primaries leading to the 2016 presidential elections, where Trump became victorious. During Trump’s one-term reign, Romney led a section of Republicans in open defiance of the president, siding with the Democrats on key issues.
Romney also spoke out critically of Mr. Trump after the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. In a statement during the first anniversary of the incident, Romney said that what happened on January 6th, 2021 was a tragedy. He called the individuals who lost their lives protecting the US Capitol “brave” for allowing Congress to fulfill its duty and for the peaceful transfer of power to continue.
Santos Could Be on His Way Out of Congress
On the other hand, Congressman Santos is a man under siege. The Democratic party wants him expelled from Congress for allegedly telling many lies. According to the BBC, Mr. Santos faces a litany of allegations, from embellishing information in his biography to presenting false financial information.
In early February, the 34-year-old stepped down from serving on committees in the House. Although it was reported that the stepping down was temporary, many believe he may never reclaim the committee seats. He may well be on his way out of the US House of Representatives if current investigations yield concrete reasons for indictment.
The ongoing personal scandal of Mr. George Santos might have largely triggered the altercation with Mr. Romney. According to TMZ, Romney spoke to reporters soon after Biden finished addressing the nation. As per the report, Romney said that he did not expect that Rep. Santos would position himself in a way that enabled him to “shake hands with every senator and the President of the United States.”
Santos’s Personal Scandal Pits Him Against the Public
Instead, as per Romney, Santos should have taken the furthest seat from the aisle. “[He] should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet, instead of parading in front of the President and people coming into the room.”
On his part, Santos took to Twitter to taunt Romney. “Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!” Santos said while replying to his own tweet. However, some comments under the tweet pulled no punches against Santos. One user replied, “You’re trying too hard, sweetheart. It’s over. Go home.” Another one said, “Keep going Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie. You continue to remind us of how despicable you are.”
Mitt Romney appears to have the public on his side, especially in light of the ongoing drama at whose center is George Santos. Many Democrats hope to oust the Congressman to strengthen their power in the House. If it happens, Santos’s removal will be a blessing to the Biden administration, especially as it pushes for policies to outmaneuver China and Russia on the global political and economic stage.
