CNN reports:
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told GOP Rep. George Santos of New York: “You don’t belong here,” according to a member who witnessed the tense exchange in the House of Representatives chamber Tuesday night.
After the speech, Romney told CNN he criticized Santos for standing in the front aisle “trying to shake hands” with the president and senators “given the fact that he’s under ethics investigation.”
“He should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet instead of parading in front of the president and people coming into the room,” he said, noting that Santos may have responded to his remark but he “didn’t hear.”
NBC News reports:
Santos, who has faced calls to resign after he admitted having lied about much of his background, had positioned himself along the chamber’s middle aisle ahead of Biden’s speech.
Lawmakers will often choose to sit along the aisle for the State of the Union so they can greet and shake hands with the president as he enters and walks toward the dais.
As senators made their way into the House, Romney had a brief exchange with Santos, who looked annoyed as Romney walked away. “He’s a sick puppy. He shouldn’t have been there,” he said of Santos’ standing in the aisle.
Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT! https://t.co/ANxiQPxAua
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) February 8, 2023
Gaslighting is a George Santos specialty. https://t.co/dydqNYBQ3o
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 8, 2023
.@RitchieTorres stop obsessing over me, I’m married! https://t.co/7KCEm9otPM
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) February 8, 2023
Please don’t ruin Pose for us. You’ve done enough. https://t.co/4kmMivmx4t
— Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) February 8, 2023
Miss Kitara Ravanche is staying true to her drag roots. https://t.co/h9ITqri6AN
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) February 8, 2023
Asked Mitt Romney if he’s disappointed that Speaker McCarthy hasn’t called on George Santos to resign.
“Yes,” he said.
Santos “should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet instead of parading in front of the President and people coming into the room,” Romney said. pic.twitter.com/obpaYD8v1x
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 8, 2023
Romney: “He says he, you know, that he embellished his record. Look, embellishing is saying you got an A when you got an A-,” the senator said. “Lying is saying you graduated from a college that you didn’t even attend and he shouldn’t be in Congress.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 8, 2023
Mitt Romney on Santos:
Q: “You just said, ‘you don’t belong here’?”
Romney: “Yeah.”
Q: “Why did you say that?”
Romney: “I didn’t expect he’d be standing there trying to shake hands with every senator and the president of the United States.”pic.twitter.com/jCXlvvEGrB
— The Republican Accountability Project (@AccountableGOP) February 8, 2023
Sen. Mitt Romney has a heated exchange with Rep. George Santos in the House chamber.
Romney appears to say “You should be embarrassed” and “You shouldn’t be here.”
It also looks like Romney calls Santos an “ass” #utpol pic.twitter.com/fISgA60dIe
— Bryan “As seen in the J6 report” Schott (@SchottHappens) February 8, 2023