"If you come for me, you best not miss": Santos gloats after vote to expel shakes out in his favor

“This was never about me, and I’ll never let it become about me,” Santos posted to X following the vote

By Kelly McClure

Nights & Weekends Editor

Published November 1, 2023 9:41PM (EDT)

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) walks back to his office after debate on the House floor on a resolution to expel him from Congress, at the U.S. Capitol November 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) walks back to his office after debate on the House floor on a resolution to expel him from Congress, at the U.S. Capitol November 1, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The motion to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress failed on Wednesday evening, with 182 Republicans and 31 Democrats voting in favor of letting him stay and 24 House Republicans and 155 Democrats voting to get him out of there, according to The Washington Post. Fifteen Democrats and four Republicans voted "present."

Following the vote, Santos posted an image of himself wearing a gold crown to X (formerly Twitter), with the phrase "If you come for me, you best not miss" superimposed over it, along with the message, "Tonight was a victory for due process not me. This was never about me, and I’ll never let it become about me. We all have rights under this great Constitutional Republic and I’ll fight for our right to uphold them till my last dying breath."  

The push to expel was initiated last week by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito R-N.Y., after Santos pleaded not guilty to 10 new federal charges which include: conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records to obstruct the commission.

Nick LaLota, who spoke on the House floor on Friday in favor of the move to oust, commented on its failure saying, “the consequences and precedents of not expelling him for his lies and fraud has the potential to do far more damage to this institution.” 

 

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