A chaotic scene broke out Tuesday when reporters swarmed embattled Republican New York Rep. George Santos outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump is set to be arraigned.
Santos arrived at the scene to support Trump, and a flock of reporters immediately rushed towards him with questions.
“Congressman Santos, what’s your message here today?” one reporter asked.
“The message is to support the president, that’s all,” Santos responded.
Rep. George Santos arrives at the courthouse pic.twitter.com/1fr73aLcZl
— William Turton (@WilliamTurton) April 4, 2023
“Are you finally bringing legitimacy to this process?” another reporter asked as Santos tried to move through the crowd, a clip posted by Forbes shows.
“I’m here to support the president of the United States, who is being unfairly attacked by a DA [district attorney] … This DA refuses to take criminals off the street, but wants to stretch a misdemeanor into a felony,” Santos told the press, according to a clip from NewsNation’s Kim Anderson.
“But is this DA gonna start criminalizing criminals? Where’s Hunter Biden’s indictment? Two years of a laptop full of a treasure trove of crime,” Santos told Vice News.
The reporters continued to chase Santos after he escaped the group outside the courthouse. “This starts a precedent that … what’s to stop the next prosecutor in two years?” Santos said to the Associated Press (AP) as he walked away. (RELATED: Rep. George Santos Tells Piers Morgan He Has Been ‘A Terrible Liar’)
Santos admitted in December 2022 to fabricating important details about his education, ethnicity and work history. Prosecutors are investigating Santos’ fabrications, and the FBI is looking into alleged fraud Santos ostensibly committed through his pet charity. Additionally, Brazilian authorities are probing Santos over alleged check fraud, and the House Ethics Committee is investigating his fabrications.
Santos filed to run for reelection in March despite his numerous scandals and bipartisan calls for his resignation.