New York congressman-elect George Santos went on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday evening after admitting to having “embellished” his résumé and lying about being Jewish.
In his first televised interview since accusations that he had lied about his background surfaced, Santos spoke with guest host Tulsi Gabbard. “I made a mistake,” Santos said during the live recording. “Humans are flawed… I’m having to admit this on national television for the whole country to see.”
“I’m not a fraud. I’m not a fake,” the incoming congressman continued, despite lying about his education and work history. “I didn’t materialize from thin air. I worked damn hard to get where I got my entire life.”
Gabbard then read a letter his campaign sent this year in which Santos claimed to be a “proud American Jew.” Repeating earlier statements, Santos replied, “I’ve always joked with friends and circles… Even in the campaign, I say ‘Guys, I’m Jew-ish.’”
After Gabbard addressed concerns that Santos’ “blatant lies” called into question how his “constituents and the American people” can believe what he says, Santos said his work history was “debatable” and “not false at all” but said the explanation would go “way over the American people’s head.”
“Everyone just wants to push me and call me a liar,” Santos whined before the talk show host said his time was up.
On Monday, Santos spoke to the New York Post and admitted to the résumé fabrications and lying about attending college as he apologized and assured that “I am not a criminal.”
“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my résumé,” he said. “I own up to that … We do stupid things in life.”
He also admitted that he “never worked directly” for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, despite his previous assertions. “I will be clearer about that. It was stated poorly,” Santos said, and stated that he “never claimed to be Jewish.”
His admission came after the New York Times published a report that raised discrepancies in his background. Despite repeatedly apologizing for misleading the public, Santos still attempted to deflect blame for his lies onto other entities. Santos pointed the finger at the Times, blaming their “elitism” as the motivation behind the exaggeration of his credentials.
“I worked as a customer service agent for 6-7 months of my life…elitists like the New York Times like to call blue-collar jobs like that ‘odd jobs’ because it just doesn’t fit their bourgeois-style lifestyle,” he said.
Despite calls from Democrats for Santos’ resignation, the incoming congressman told New York’s WABC, ”I will be sworn in. I will take office.”
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