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Disgraced Rep George Santos sparks outrage with self-coronation post on social media after House vote fails to expel him

The New York congressman, who is facing 23 charges including wire fraud and identity theft and has pleaded not guilty, celebrated what he called a 'victory for due process'

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. George Santos (R-NY) ignited controversy on social media Wednesday, November 1, after a House vote failed to expel him from Congress.

The embattled New York congressman, who is facing 23 charges including wire fraud and identity theft and has pleaded not guilty, celebrated what he called a "victory for due process" by posting a controversial image on X.

George Santos's self-coronation

In a post that was later deleted, Santos shared a photoshopped image of himself superimposed over the House chamber, wearing a crown and with his fingers steepled. The image was captioned, "If you come for me, you best not miss." 

He wrote alongside, “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."

While the post was quickly removed, Santos later reissued the same statement without the image.

Social media reactions

However, the self-coronation did not go unnoticed, and Santos faced widespread criticism and mockery on social media.

One user humorously referred to him as "QUEEN GEORGE SANTOS", while another sarcastically remarked, "Whispers in DC are that he's more powerful than the speaker."

Some expressed frustration with the failure to expel Santos, with one user asserting, "These radical right-wing Republicans always protect their own fraudsters and criminals like George Santos. So this comes as no surprise."

"We'll all have the last laugh at Santos when he's in prison for his crimes," another insisted.

Expulsion vote falls short in the House 

The effort to expel Santos from the House fell short as a Republican-led resolution failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority. The final vote tally was 179 in favor of expulsion and 213 against.

Ahead of the vote, Santos emphasized his right to "the presumption of innocence." He told CNN, "I have a right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. I'm fighting for that right, and if these guys don't believe in that, then democracy is dead."

Earlier, five vulnerable New York Republican House members had called for Santos' expulsion, arguing that it was a moral issue rather than a political one.

They expressed support for expelling Santos before a criminal conviction as a positive precedent, emphasizing the importance of providing voters with proper representation.

In a letter signed by freshman Reps. Nick LaLota, Anthony D'Esposito, Marcus Molinaro, Brandon Williams, and Mike Lawler, the lawmakers urged their colleagues to vote in favor of expulsion.

“As Republican Members from the New York delegation, we fully support Santos’ expulsion, and ask all of our colleagues to join us in voting yes,” the lawmakers wrote to their colleagues on Wednesday.

They rejected the argument that expulsion could risk the slim Republican majority, asserting, "This is a question of right and wrong."

The lawmakers also argued that removing Santos ahead of a criminal conviction would set a “positive” precedent.

“Indeed, we should let the American people know if a candidate for Congress lies about everything about himself to get their votes, and then that false identity becomes known by his admission or otherwise, that House Members will expel the fraudster and give voters a timely opportunity to have proper representation," they added.

Ethics Committee announces investigation update

The House Ethics Committee announced that they would provide an update on their investigation by November 17.

Some New York GOP members feared that their colleagues might wait to see how the investigation unfolds before making a decision on Santos.

Santos himself has been vocal about his right to due process and his determination not to resign.

In a statement on social media, he declared, "I will not beg for my constitutional rights. I will let my colleagues make their decision without my interference."