Disgraced former Rep. George Santos made a surprise appearance at the State of the Union speech Thursday evening, despite having been booted from Congress late last year.

Mr. Santos joined a small, infamous club of lawmakers that had been expelled from Congress when the House voted to oust him from his seat in December.

Though the ex-lawmaker was stripped of his power and position in Congress, he still can pay a visit to the lower chamber. Former members of Congress retain privileges to enter the House floor, unless those privileges are specifically stripped by the House.

And there he was, sitting next to Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican, a little over an hour before President Biden’s address to the House and Senate, clad in silver shoes and a bedazzled shirt collar along with his trademark v-neck sweater.

“It’s the State of the Union — why not?” Mr. Santos told Fox News. “It’s a privilege.”

• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.