George Santos Says He’s “Humbled” But Unbothered by Critics
Freed from a New Jersey prison after serving just under three months, former U.S. Rep. George Santos insists his time behind bars has changed him just not enough to care what anyone thinks.
“I’m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,” Santos told CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, brushing off outrage over his early release.
Trump’s decision to commute Santos’s sentence came after the disgraced New York congressman pleaded guilty last year to defrauding donors and stealing identities, including those of his own relatives. Santos, who once fabricated a fake résumé as a Wall Street dealmaker, began serving a seven-year sentence in July.
But Trump called the punishment excessive, saying Santos “didn’t deserve a harsh sentence” and earned leniency for “voting Republican.”
Santos Claims He’s “Learned a Great Deal” — But Restitution Is Optional
Appearing on CNN, Santos said he had a “large slice of humble pie” while imprisoned and apologized to his former constituents, calling his time in office “a chaotic ball of flame.”
Still, humility has its limits. Asked if he planned to repay the $373,750 in restitution tied to his plea deal, Santos replied: “If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no.”
Trump’s clemency order appears to have cleared Santos of paying any further fines or restitution.
The Art of the Reinvention — Again
Santos rose to infamy after winning a congressional seat in 2022 on a completely fabricated résumé. He falsely claimed to have graduated from Baruch College, played collegiate volleyball, and held jobs at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. In reality, he had faced eviction, worked odd jobs, and dabbled in questionable financial ventures.
Expelled from Congress in 2023, Santos capitalized on notoriety by making personalized videos on Cameo, raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars. After his clemency, the disgraced ex-congressman is already back on the platform.
Santos maintains that he’s been granted “a second chance” and intends to “make amends” though, as he made clear, only on his terms.
