Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner on Friday lamented the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from the House of Representatives as a loss for Israel.
The Faulkner Focus host additionally fretted over the disgraced congressman’s “demeanor” prior to and after the House’s vote to oust him, noting how he was “slumped in his chair” during the proceedings.
A serial fabulist who lied about his supposedly impressive resume to get elected last year, Santos is currently staring down 23 criminal counts including conspiracy, fraud, unauthorized political contributions, and identity theft. Additionally, a House ethics report recently detailed how Santos falsified loans and plundered his own campaign account to pay for Botox, designer clothing, and OnlyFans subscriptions.
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Despite the scathing ethics findings and the federal charges, which Santos is unlikely to beat in court, many Republican colleagues voted against the resolution to expel him, claiming he was denied due process since he has yet to be convicted of any crimes. At the same time, though, nearly half of the GOP caucus supported Santos’ ouster, boosted by a last-minute email from a Republican congressman accusing Santos of illegally charging his and his mother’s credit cards.
Moments after the House formally removed Santos from office, which easily passed the two-thirds threshold with 311 votes, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), who voted against the ouster, joined Faulkner to discuss her reasons for supporting the disgraced ex-congressman.
“Under the Constitution, Article 1 Section 5 Clause 2, the House has the right and ability to govern members, including up and to expulsion,” Cammack declared. “That being said, for me without a conviction, despite a damning ethics report, I am very concerned about setting a precedent that in the people’s house, 750,000 people in New York’s 3rd Congressional District would be left without representation.”
After the Florida congresswoman added that it was “inappropriate to deny those constituents” a representative, Faulkner then wondered what Santos’ exit from Congress means for the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“Look, one of the things he’s been very vocal about is supporting Israel throughout its war against the bloodthirsty terrorists of Hamas who killed innocent citizens on October 7 in Israel,” she stated. “That war continues. And he’s been very vocal and very emotional about that issue.”Faulkner continued: “That’s one of the voices now, you know, as Republicans like yourself, get together and try to figure out next steps for Israel from a congressional point, that’s one of the voices that gets quieted.”
Cammack seemed to agree with the Fox News host, claiming it’s now an even “bigger situation here in the House” as the GOP only holds a two-seat majority following Santos’ ouster. “It’s a heartbreaking day on the Hill, on both sides,” she added.
Besides framing the expulsion of an indicted pathological liar—who has fabricated claims of his “Jew-ish” heritage—as a loss for Israel, Faulkner also expressed concern about Santos’ mental state.
“You had George Santos sitting alone in the House chamber, sort of near where he normally sits for votes, he was sitting with his hands clasped, legs crossed, a little slumped in his chair, he was described by our reporters and producers there,” the Fox host noted. “And he was occasionally leaning his head back. Have you spoken with him since this vote and what was his sort of demeanor before and after?”
Describing her now-former colleague as having “been continually a colorful figure here on Capitol Hill,” Cammack said she’s “never had a bad word” with Santos before adding that she knows “this has got to be very trying for him as an individual.” She then concluded by once again defending her vote to keep him in Congress, while also brushing aside any wrongdoing by Santos.
“But let’s be honest, he has done some things that are not exactly ethical, to say the least. I won’t weigh into the legal aspects of it. But unethical at its best,” Cammack insisted.
