Internet trolls George Santos for ending independent congressional bid after failing to raise money

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: On Tuesday, April 23, George Santos, the former Long Island lawmaker announced the termination of his independent campaign to overthrow Suffolk County congressman, Nick LaLota.

This decision came after the disgraced ex-GOP representative failed to raise any funds for his campaign during its first few weeks, according to the New York Post.

In a statement on X, Santos expressed his desire not to draw votes away from LaLota, a Republican candidate.

He further claimed that he did not want to be the one “responsible” for passing control of the House of Representatives to Democrats in 2025.

What did George Santos declare on Tuesday?

George Santos posted, “Announcement! I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1… I don’t want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota [sic].”

“Although Nick and I don’t have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don’t want to split the ticket,” he added.

“The future holds countless possibilities and I am ready willing [sic][and able to step up to the plate and go fight for my country at any time,” Santos remarked in conclusion, adding. “It’s only goodbye for now, I’ll be back.”

In 2022, Santos was elected to represent parts of Nassau County and Queens in the House. However, following the release of a damning House Ethics Committee report that found him guilty of using campaign funds for personal expenses such as X-rated OnlyFans subscriptions, Botox injections, and luxurious trips, he was expelled from the chamber on December 1, making him the sixth House member to suffer such a fate, and the first Republican to do so. 

LaLota was among the 105 Republicans who voted in favor of expelling Santos. Despite Santos' expulsion, he announced on March 7 that he intended to run against LaLota. This announcement came after Santos attended President Joe Biden's State of the Union address as a guest and stormed out of the Capitol, declaring "to hell with this place." 

According to a recent Federal Election Commission filing, as of the end of March, the Santos campaign had reported no fundraising or spending, which the former congressman claimed was intentional.

Last week, the 35-year-old told the Daily Beast, “I will not be raising a single dime until I’m confirmed on the ballot.”

“I’m setting the standard that only confirmed ballot access candidates should raise money,” Santos claimed.

In order to qualify for the ballot in the 1st Congressional District of New York, George Santos needed to obtain 3,500 signatures from local residents by May 15th. Given his notoriety, this was a task that seemed almost unattainable.

Furthermore, Santos is currently facing a 23-count federal indictment for allegedly laundering money for his campaign and defrauding donors.

Despite pleading not guilty to all charges, the House Ethics Committee report that led to his expulsion stated that there was “substantial evidence” of criminal wrongdoing.

George Santos's trial in the Eastern District of New York is scheduled to begin on September 9th. 

Shortly after his election, Santos gained national attention by admitting to fabricating significant portions of his resume and personal history.

In an interview with the aforementioned outlet in December 2022, he confessed that he had never worked directly for Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, and acknowledged that he did not graduate from college, despite claiming to hold degrees from Baruch College and New York University.

Internet trolls George Santos for ending independent bid for Congress after raising zero funds

One X user remarked, "Oh, no! It doesn't have to do with the fact that you fundraised $0, does it?"

Another user said, "TLDR: He was going to lose in a landslide, so he dropped out as an “independent.”"

Another user suggested, "You should just become a full-time twitter shitposter."

One user wrote, "It’s time to be done with the crazy’s in office."

Another X user quipped, "I hope this is the last time I have to read words like "George Santos pulls out" in my lifetime. Seriously."

Finally, this user tweeted, "more Cameos coming our way from Kitara!"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.