Maddow obtains video of George Santos claiming he was the target of assassination
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow began her Monday show by revealing that she'd found a video interview of Rep. George Santos (R-NY) claiming that he was the victim of an attempted murder plot.
According to Santos, he now has to have full police protection to protect him from the murderers who "might come back," the host said.
The interview comes from Radio Novelo Apresenta, a Brazilian podcast that he spoke to in Portuguese. Maddow had the interview translated.
"We have already suffered an attempt on my life. An assassination attempt," he told the outlet. He then said that he was given police protection, which the Maddow team checked with the NYPD.
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In a possibly related story, Santos also said his shoes were stolen on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
"Specifically at the corner of 55th street and Fifth Avenue at 3:00 p.m.," said Maddow. "Somebody took his shoes. Not the same people who were trying to murder him. Apparently, that was separate, but who can say?"
Santos also said that his home was "assaulted."
The podcast followed up with Santos asking for the police report about the "mugging on Fifth Avenue" but revealed that they have not heard back from him.
"In Jan. 2021, my home was vandalized. My husband and I had gone to a New Year's Eve party in 2020 in Florida," Santos recalled. "I'm going to a New Year's Eve party with my husband. We go back to our house. It was vandalized because we were at a Republican Party. In Florida in Dec. 2020. So, that's it. I've experienced vandalism."
He went on to describe the assassination plot, adding that there was also a threatening letter, “having to have the police, a police escort standing in front of our house.”
Finally, in the interview, he explained that the reason he takes such a hard stance on immigration is that he is, himself, an immigrant.
"I am assiduously critical of people who want to start their American Dream and that journey and want to start it the wrong way. I think like this: The United States was created on immigration, it was created on immigration, on diversity. I strongly encourage people who want to come here to do it. But I also encourage it to be done correctly, because I think so. Imagine starting a relationship with a lie or someone doing something wrong, right?"
Santos has been part of an ongoing scandal since being elected because he has told an unprecedented number of lies about his identity, his religion, his family history, his mother, his experience, a possible fundraising scheme, his time wearing drag makeup and a sequenced mini-dress, his income, employers, and other financial information as well as other things. Meanwhile, he's involved in a possible crime in Brazil.
Although Santos has denied some of the allegations leveled against him, those denials have been subsequently followed up by clarifications in which he acknowledges at least some of their veracity.
To cite one recent example, take Santos' handling of claims about his past as a drag queen.
“The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or ‘performed’ as a drag Queen is categorically false,” he tweeted Thursday "The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life while I am working to deliver results. I will not be distracted nor fazed by this."
By Sunday, Santos corrected the record when speaking to reporters, "No, I was not a drag queen in Brazil, guys. I was young, and I had fun at a festival. Sue me for having a life."
You can see the full video of Santos below or at the link here.
The Santos plot www.youtube.com