Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) sat down with comedian Ziwe Fumudoh for an interview published Monday where the two discussed a wide range of topics, including his alleged crimes, corrupt people in Congress and comparing himself to civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks.
Before the official interview began, text read on the screen that Santos asked to be paid for the interview three times but was denied. Behind-the-scenes footage was also shown of Santos asking Ziwe to be “mindful with the DOJ stuff.”
Highlights of Santos’ interview include: Ziwe asking him if he would compete on “Dancing With The Stars” (“No”) or be on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” (“I haven’t got that invite yet. I’d love to go read a bitch”) how many Black friends he has (“Plenty. Seriously, I have too many to count”) and whether or not he supports a ceasefire (“No,” but also, “I hate war”).
Ziwe also asked Santos about the time he compared himself to Rosa Parks, with Santos responding: “I used an analogy. I’m not like Rosa Parks. Come on, I could never measure, let’s just put it that way.”
Elsewhere, Santos called former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) “frauds.” He also spoke of his time at the Capitol and said he was there to expose “rot and corruption.”
“And I did, and I’m going to continue to do it,” he said. “Republicans and Democrats alike, swampy, slimy people selling this country down a river.”
The interview ended with Santos struggling to define the word empathy and Ziwe coyly referencing the allegations against him, asking: “What excites you most about going to prison?”
She then picked up a Hermés Birkin bag that appeared to be filled with money, a nod to the former congressman allegedly using campaign donors’ funds to make a purchase at Hermés.
After Santos was expelled from Congress earlier this month for allegedly misusing campaign funds and lying about his resume, Ziwe reached out to him on X, formerly Twitter, and invited him for an interview, saying he would make an “iconic guest.”