REP. GEORGE SANTOS (R-NY) TELLS NEWSNATION’S DAN ABRAMS THAT “I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THIS COUNTRY AND THIS [FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SURRENDERING IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA] IS TEARING THIS COUNTRY APART”
In a lengthy interview presented tonight on NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) discussed the recent crimes he’s been with charged with including fraud and money laundering and the breaking news with former President Donald Trump out of Fulton County, Georgia. When asked whether he has sympathy for former president Donald Trump he said, “I have sympathy for this country and this is tearing this country apart.” He added, “Look innocent until proven guilty, but I think he’s innocent.” When pressed about the claim he made about his maternal grandfather who he said was a Ukrainian Jew who fled Nazi persecution is true he said, “Soon to be announced – some very interesting revealing things. But yes, those are true. It is true.”
Video clips from Newsnation.
Video Clip #1: https://public.latakoo.com/b9e0e4c8337b7b6d6f8d3e0951f330ff
On whether he has sympathy for former President Donald Trump who turned himself in tonight in Fulton County, Georgia and the mug shot that has just been release:
“I have sympathy for this country and this is tearing this country apart. This this, this ploy to weaponize the government against a political opponent should have never happened. This starts dangerous precedent for the rest of the history of our country. This is the beginning of the end, in my opinion, the fact that we have a mugshot of the former president of the United States as he’s running for reelection should really send a chilling effect on the spine of every single American tonight at home. This is what the Democrats who are more activist than DAs campaigned on and they’re delivering on their campaign promises.”
On whether he believes former President Trump did anything wrong:
“Look innocent until proven guilty, but I think he’s innocent. Well, the burden is on the government. It is and Rico charges. I have I have a feeling they’re going to be very tough to try to prove.”
Video Clip #2: https://public.latakoo.com/c16a136c8bfc17d6ac6a4ebc317b7577
On his position of not supporting the U.S. providing aid to Ukraine:
“It’s not it’s not that I don’t support it, right. That’s that’s… so I support humanitarian efforts. I support stopping the murderous, Vladimir Putin. That’s that’s, that’s a fact that I’m not I’m not going to walk away from I just think we need a little bit more transparency and accountability. And this is coming across at this point. You got Democrats saying the same thing, right? We need accountability. There’s too much money being spent and we’re not really seeing a lot of accountability back to Congress. You need to know where our money goes.”
On whether the claim that his maternal grandfather was a Ukrainian Jew who fled Nazi persecution is true:
“Soon to be announced – some very interesting revealing things. But yes, those are true. It is true. And I will definitely be having fun with that. Watch the news in the next couple of weeks can be fun.”
On whether his grandfather is alive:
“No. No, no, no, no.”
Video Clip #3: https://public.latakoo.com/ffe1e463057457d92587df9c1d0d4bad
On the disabled Navy veteran claiming that he used him and his ailing dog to raise money, and that he eventually kept it for himself:
“I’ve never met him. He said it on air. He’s never met me. I’ve never spoken to him. He insists he has. I don’t even know this man’s number.”
On the allegations:
“If he has proof of this look, I’ve helped throughout the years, a number of animals, dogs, it’s my passion. I love helping animals. I’m an animal lover at heart, right? Whether it’s an orca trapped at SeaWorld, or whatever the case is, right. Just recently, this week, an orca that we’ve all been trying to release from the Miami Seaquarium pass. So these are things that I’m passionate about not to distract from, from this, but no, it didn’t happen.”
“It didn’t happen. Right? And if had I stolen money from him, why didn’t he seek legal recourse at the time? Why didn’t he come after me? He should have done that. If anybody steals money from you, you go and do that.”
On whether he is sure it didn’t happen:
“I’m positive. It didn’t happen.”
