Why Is George Santos Cozying Up to a Fellow Far-Right Liar?

Game recognizes game. And the far right scene in New York City is kind of a small world. So it’s weird, but not particularly surprising, that just days before being indicted on federal fraud charges, fabulist Congressman George Santos appeared on a livestream produced by devotees of Guo Wengui—an exiled Chinese mogul who allegedly orchestrated of a massive international fraud and is also a prodigious purveyor of misinformation.

Guo, who also uses the name Miles Guo, is a longtime patron and professional partner of Steve Bannon. And Bannon’s allies in places like the fanatical New York Young Republicans Club are also big Santos backers. These ties likely explain how Santos showed up Friday at a cavernous, sparsely furnished Mahwah, NJ, mansion to tacitly back Guo supporters’ kooky conspiracy theory that their leader has been framed by the FBI at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. The interview was broadcast on a program that Guo followers regularly share on Gettr, a right-leaning social media app over which, as Mother Jones has reported, Guo has exercised control.

Guo made a fortune in Chinese real estate before fleeing that country in 2014 ahead of criminal charges there. In the US, he reinvented himself as a supposed Chinese dissident. Working with Bannon, Guo won followers in the international Chinese diaspora with aggressive attacks on China’s rulers, while also spreading bizarre conspiracy theories about topics like the 2020 election and Covid.

Like Guo, Santos is an alleged fraudster and a definite liar. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York unsealed a 13-count indictment for wired fraud, money laundering, campaign finance violations, and false statements.

Santos may well be hoping that by backing Guo’s claims that Guo is being unfairly prosecuted, he’ll encourage Guo’s fanatical supporters to make the same claim about him. And indeed, Guo fans took up Santos’ cause after his indictment.

Santos capped his performance Friday by reminding those constituents that he works for them. This riff seemed to channel Oprah Winfrey’s famed “You get a car” episode, along with Tom Wambsgans’ shareholder address in a recent Succession episode. “You are an ATN citizen,” Tom lamely declares, pointing at crowd members. “And you are an ATN citizen. And I am an ATN citizen.”

“You’re my boss,” Santos said, pointing at Guo fans. “You’re my boss. You’re my boss. That’s how this works.”


#GeorgeSantos #SantosIndictment #MilesGuo #SteveBannon

--

[UncleEbenezer]

This just in: Webster’s and Oxford are rushing to the presses to update their definitions of _Witch hunt_ to _Guilty as charged._

[jerrellbevers]

If I'm his boss then you're fired.

[meh]

Is that George Santos, the first black lesbian woman to orbit Venus seventeen times in a horse and cart, whilst simultaneously playing lead saxophone for Run D.M.C. and The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras collaborative cover version of The Ramones' song "Sheena is A Punk Rocker" in a jazz punk fusion style?

[JM-vjwe]

Answers the real question of where he got his money from!

[marvinmartin]

Just collaborating on keeping lie’s straight!

[susanfrancis]

My god, is Bannon Pregnant?
Looks like about 8 months to me.

[marykelley]

You are the company you keep and he doesn't understand why he was indicted so quickly 🤣

[daveroche]

"Liar, liar, pants on fire",
"Well take them off then,

[janeayre]

I guess we can assume where that 750 million dollars came from.

[jackperry]

I'm innocent 😅😇 😆😂😂😂😂😂 that's a good one George 🤣 it's a witch hunt 🤣🤣 oh my god 🤣 hey George is this your broom. Its labeled George / witch 🪄 😂 I'm innocent 😅 stop it you're killing me

[Tanlantas]

You will have to be more specific as to which far right lier you are referring to. Good luck narrowing the selection.

[djancak]

well that was super uninformative thanks