Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) shared what appeared to be a tense exchange ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Santos, the truth-challenged congressman from New York, had positioned himself on the center aisle of the House chamber, where lawmakers often stand on such occasions in order to shake hands with the president.
As members of the Senate walked into the chamber and made their way down the aisle, Romney and Santos seemed to get into a brief confrontation. The two men didn’t shake hands and, although there was no audio of the exchange, some reporters speculated that Romney told Santos he “ought to be embarrassed.”
Afterward, Santos appeared to mouth to a colleague “what an asshole,” according to an ABC News producer.
After winning his election in November, Santos confirmed that he had lied about nearly every aspect of his personal biography, including his academic credentials, work history and ancestry. Although he has refused to resign despite calls from his own constituents, Santos recently stepped down from his House committee assignments.
Biden also walked by Santos on Tuesday, but the congressman didn’t get a chance to shake the president’s hand. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) positioned herself between Santos and the aisle just before the president entered the chamber and got a handshake from Biden instead.
Arthur Delaney contributed reporting.
