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George Santos Claims He Will Resign If 142,000 People Ask Him To

George Santos

In other words, George Santos wants another election. 

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New York's embattled gay fabulist Congressman, Rep. George Santos, indicated to reporters that he would resign if 142,000 people asked him to.

Santos remarked while aides attempted to shield him from the press assembled outside his office and ushered him into an elevator, NBC News reports.

Reporters were shouting questions at Santos, who ignored most of them as he took the short walk to the elevators.

"If the voters ask for you to resign, will you?" one of the reporters asked.

Santos, seemingly exasperated and smug, replied as the elevator doors were closing. "If 142 people ask for me to resign, I'll resign," Santos said.

Joined by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida on Steve Bannon's War Room, Santos clarified that he meant 142,000 voters who elected him in November. In his words, Santos said he would be in Congress until "those same 142,000 people tell me they don't want me."

Santos earned 142,017 votes in the midterm election

Robert Zimmerman, the Democratic opponent in that race, lost, having earned 120,060 votes.

Later, as Santos returned to his office, he said, "I will not resign. I will be continuing to hold my office elected by the people," Reuters reports.

The number of Republicans upset with the developments surrounding Santos has been increasing over a few days.

On Wednesday, members of the Nassau County Republican Committee rejected him as their representative and declared him unwelcome at the local Republican party headquarters. The chairman led several local elected representatives in calling on Santos to resign.

Thursday morning, Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York challenged Republicans to "Clean up your house" during his weekly press conference when asked about Santos.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has said he stands by Santos and would not call for his resignation.

"I try to stick by the Constitution," McCarthy said this week. "The voters elected him to serve. If there is a concern, he has to go through the Ethics [Committee]; let him move through that.

The Republican speaker continued, "Right now, the voters have a voice in the decision. It's not where people pick and choose based upon what somebody's press has. So he will continue to serve."

McCarthy needed Santos's support to be elected to the speakership; support Santos gave the California congressman 15 times until he won the job.

Santos's office did not respond to The Advocate's request for comment.

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Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).