Santos’ position at speech drew scolding from Romney
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. George Santos positioned himself in a prime location for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address — an uncomfortably prominent place for the embattled new lawmaker who faces multiple investigations and has acknowledged embellishing and even lying about his life story.
Santos’ presence at the center aisle to see and be seen with the arrivals was met with a stern rebuke from a fellow Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney.
“You don’t belong here,” the Utah Republican scolded Santos as he entered the House chamber and spotted the New York Republican on the aisle.
Words were exchanged, it was reported, though Romney said later he did not hear it all.
“He shouldn’t be in Congress, and they are going to go through the process and hopefully get him out,” Romney told reporters afterward, his office confirmed. “But he shouldn’t be there, and if he had any shame at all he wouldn’t be there.”
Santos retorted with a tweet: “Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!”
Other Republicans heard the lawmakers’ exchange Tuesday night, and one Republican who was told about it said there was widespread displeasure that Santos had situated himself in such a prominent spot. The lawmaker requested anonymity to discuss what others said about the subject.
The center aisle basically gave Santos the chance to seize the limelight by greeting the president and other prominent officials as they entered the House chamber.
As senators entered the House in a line, it was then that Romney spotted Santos.
“I didn’t expect that he’d be standing there, trying to shake hands with every senator and the president of the United States,” Romney told reporters later.