As we wait around to see if Kevin McCarthy can actually secure the votes to become Speaker of the House, let’s entertain ourselves by playing a game about one member of Congress who is arguably having an even more embarrassing day.
The man in question is George Santos, congressman-elect from New York’s Third District, who appears to have lied about many elements of his life story, from where he went to college (he didn’t graduate) to whether he’s actually Jewish (he now claims he’s merely “Jew-ish”) or owns multiple properties (he doesn’t own any, but he owes thousands in unpaid rent).
The game is Two Truths and a Lie. I will give you three statements about embarrassing things that happened during Santos’s first day on Capitol Hill. You guess which two statements are true and which one is just something I made up. Unlike Santos, I will then quickly reveal what’s true and what’s false. Here we go:
- Santos got lost in the Capitol while trying to flee a pack of reporters.
- Santos voted to make Donald Trump Speaker.
- Fellow members of Congress shunned Santos on the House floor.
Pick out the one you think is a lie while you listen to the dulcet harmonies of Fleetwood Mac. Then scroll down for the answers.
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Statement 1: Santos got lost in the Capitol while trying to flee a pack of reporters.
Answer: It’s true! When Santos showed up at the Capitol on Tuesday morning, he tried to avoid a scrum of journalists to no avail. He wound up wandering the hallways and getting stuck at a dead end, while reporters shouted questions like “Do you plan to resign?” and “What is your legal name?” Santos didn’t respond.
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Statement 2: Santos voted to make Donald Trump Speaker.
Answer: It’s a lie! Although there has been chatter about nominating Trump in the past (the Speaker doesn’t have to be a member of the House), Santos knows he shouldn’t be generating even more drama. The only thing he did tell reporters this morning was that he would vote for McCarthy.
It turned out he was telling the truth.
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Statement 3: Fellow members of Congress shunned Santos on the House floor.
Answer: It’s true! It turns out lawmakers don’t want to befriend a guy who’s under investigation by federal and local prosecutors in the U.S. as well as by authorities in Brazil.
Also avoiding Santos: his husband. While lawmakers’ families often show up to watch them be sworn in, on Tuesday the New York Post ran the (kind of rude) headline “George Santos Arrives to House for Swearing-in Ceremony Without Wedding Band — or Husband.”
By the end of the day, even Santos’s phone had abandoned him.
More on George Santos
- George Santos Is Facing Years in Prison
- The Republican Party Is Too Embarrassing for George Santos
- Here’s Every Single Lie Told by George Santos
