Lies aside, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) finds himself walking an increasingly perilous political tightrope after losing support from the establishment political figures he once courted.
Adding to his worries, a power struggle has begun playing out among the embattled congressman’s staff, Puck reporter Tina Nguyen tells Fever Dreams co-hosts Will Sommer and Kelly Weil on this week’s episode—highlighted by Santos’ recent hiring of a far-right “fixer” and longtime Steve Bannon ally, Viswanag “Vish” Burra.
“Within Santo’s office, I’ve heard that there’s actually been power struggles between [Burra] and other staffers whose entire deal was like, ‘All right, we’re just gonna put our heads down and hope this passes over,’” Nguyen said.
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And despite Santos’ repeated attempts to ingratiate himself with the chamber’s far-right caucus, the effort doesn’t even appear to be working. “One person who’s really familiar with the inner organs of that group told me that they consider him a quote-unquote ‘try hard.’”
Then, speculation rages in Trumpworld over whether MAGA broadcaster Silk—of ‘Diamond and Silk’ fame—meant to shade the former president during a memorial speech for her sister and co-host, bashing him for supporting COVID vaccination efforts that conspiracy theorists say—without evidence—may have been responsible for her death. A cause of death however was revealed as heart disease by the Associated Press on Tuesday.
“If Diamond—who is an outspoken critic of the vaccine—if she's supposedly died of the vaccine, how does that make any sense?” Sommer asked. “Silk has come out and clarified this on Twitter that she’s reaching deep into the anti-vaccine lore, where it’s not just that the vaccine kills you, but it’s also when you spend time around someone who has been vaccinated. Basically, vaccinated people shed ‘protein spikes,’ which are somehow dangerous.”
Also, in the podcast’s “Fresh Hell” segment, Weill and Sommer discuss the recently disclosed rulebook for Proud Boys members, which includes a number of incredibly silly measures that members must follow.
This includes the now-viral “no wank” policy which forbids masturbation—something leaders of the organization have strenuously denied in the past.
“How much these things actually prove that they are soldiers of the West I think is a bit up for debate,” Weill said.
Listen, and subscribe, to Fever Dreams on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
