Wild New George Santos Claim Astonishes Rachel Maddow: 'Surreal Is 1 Word For It'

The MSNBC anchor aired an exclusive unearthed video of the embattled Republican congressman.
|

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Monday aired an exclusive video of serial liar Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) claiming to have been the subject of an assassination plot and the victim of a mugging on Fifth Avenue in New York.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police, a police escort standing in front of our house,” the then-congressman-elect told the Brazilian podcast “Radio Novelo Apresenta” in December.

Santos alleged his Florida home was vandalized in January 2021 “because we were at a Republican party” to celebrate the new year.

And he said two white men mugged him “in broad daylight” on Fifth Avenue in the summer of 2021, stealing his shoes, watch and briefcase.

“That wasn’t the worst of it,” he told the podcast host. “Nobody did anything. Nobody did anything. The fear is real. It’s surreal what we live through here.”

“Surreal is one word for it,” Maddow said after showing the footage.

After Santos won his congressional seat in the 2022 midterms, it emerged that he had fabricated much of his life story.

Santos did not respond to Maddow’s request for comment on the claim, she said. “We have also put in a records request with the NYPD for any police report that matches what Mr. Santos described,” the anchor added.

Watch the video here:

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost