George Santos is a Threat to American Democracy
By: Kaia Patterson
When George Santos was sworn into Congress at the start of January, he took an oath, promising his loyalty to the people of New York’s 3rd District and the Constitution. However, Santos has done little to uphold this. For the past month, Santos has been surrounded by a media circus, stunning the public with his ever-disentangling web of lies. In addition to a series of issues with his finances, including an investigation into the embezzlement of his Brazilian funds, Santos sparked controversy after revealed falsehoods about his heritage, religious affiliation, education level, work accomplishments, and even his mother’s death. Further outlandish stories about Santos and his mysterious past have revealed his job as a Drag performer. Despite calls for his resignation by Republicans and Democrats, Santos stands firm in his decision to stay in office, declaring in a tweet, “I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians[…]I will NOT resign!” Nonetheless, as Santos attempts to defend his betrayals and lies against the American people, for the sake of preserving democracy, he must be taken out of office.
Santos disregards the very principle of democracy. By definition, democracy stands as a “way of governing which depends on the will of the people.” Upon electing an official to Congress, American voters expect a politician that will represent them to the fullest extent, complementing their beliefs and morals. Deceived, voters from New York’s 3rd District elected an imposter, a politician who disregarded all public trust to trick his way into office. In doing so, Santos misrepresents New York’s 3rd District and goes against our core democratic and political principles.
State Senator Anna Kaplan addressing residents of Nassau County amidst protests for Santos to resign.
Many Nassau County residents have furthered this notion. On January 13, Nassau County residents rallied outside George Santos’ district office, demanding Santos’ resignation. “I think George Santos’ only hope is that this is going to die down,” one voter explained. “We’re going to keep up the pressure, and if we need 142,000 signatures, then we’ll do it.” Other protesters demanded Santos’ tax returns, asking for answers surrounding questions about Santos’ campaign funding documents. Nassau County’s legislature led this group, labeling Santos “the biggest fraud in modern political history in this country.”
As a result, Santos’ campaign victory could result in imminent and dangerous levels of distrust in our governmental system, further fracturing public confidence in democracy. Put simply by TIME’s Philip Elliott, “Santos is a super-charged personification of the adage that all politicians lie.” Already, the public trust in our government remains low. According to the Pew Research Center, “only two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right ‘just about always.” Entering office already dubbed a “con man,” Santos will only increase the number of voters who are less likely to trust politicians and their promises upon entering office.
The G.O.P.’s silence surrounding George Santos highlights its desire to gain influence and political power, at the cost of a tarnishing democracy. Ignoring the extent of Santos’ falsehoods, House Leader Kevin McCarthy has said nothing about taking Santos out of office. McCarthy went so far as to give Santos a seat on the Science and Small Business committees. Much of this comes from Santos’ support for McCarthy during his historic election for House speaker and the G.O.P.’s slim majority. Santos had been one of the key Republicans who had flipped an open seat that a Democrat formerly held. Thus, Santos’ G.O.P. protection comes from McCarthy’s desire to upkeep Republican power within the house.
Nonetheless, it is unlikely that Santos’ protection will last. Calls against him from both parties have only increased, resulting in politicians such as Nick LaLota and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling out Santos for being “a complete and utter fraud.” Upon the new investigation by the Ethics panel, McCarthy admitted his decision to “remove [Santos] if “for some way when we go through Ethics[…]he has broken the law.” Ultimately, Santos’ scandal indicates a new era of politics, with little consideration for democratic ideals. In order to fight against this trend, voters need to complete thorough research on all possible candidates, furthering the legitimacy of our government and instilling greater faith in our most valued institutions. Our democracy is at stake. We must act now.
