After a bit of prodding from none other than right-wing TV host Piers Morgan, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) admitted to being “a terrible liar” in a Monday interview. In the roughly 40-minute discussion Morgan pressed the New York congressman on the plethora of lies he has told over the past couple of years, which came to light just after he was elected to Congress.
“I was a Wall Street superstar, I was this, my family were this, and it was all untrue,” Morgan said to Santos on his show “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” referring to the lies Santos spewed about his resume and background.
“I don’t characterize these as mistakes,” Morgan continued, “I think they’re part of your process of… cathartic process of redemption if you’d like. It’s gotta start from ‘I’ve been a terrible liar,’ I mean, would you be prepared to say that?”
“Sure, like I said,” Santos began before Morgan interrupted and urged him to “go on then.”
“Well, I’ve been a terrible liar on those subjects,” Santos admitted.
Throughout the lengthy interview, Morgan pressed Santos on almost every lie that has surfaced since the New York Times dropped its first expose on Santos in December, revealing that he lied about his resume and family background.
When confronted about his claims that he graduated from Baruch College, Santos admitted: “I did not attain a college education.”
“I’ve admitted to it. I’ve made peace with the fact that I made a bad choice in making that decision. It wasn’t easy,” he added.
“Did you not think that you’d be caught,” Morgan asked.
“I just went with it. If you’re gonna make up a lie, are you thinking at all?,” Santos asked. “I just think it was a stupid decision on my part. A very stupid decision that I regret everyday.”
Morgan also told Santos he was surprised the congressman thought he could tell such blatant lies and not think he would get caught.
“To run for Congress of the United States and to just tell blatant lies about even your academic record — I’m just struck, not necessarily that a politician would lie, but that you would think no one would find out,” Morgan said.
“Well, I’ll humor you this,” Santos responded. “I ran in 2020 for the same exact seat for Congress and I got away with it then… Stupid.”
“Well that’s honest, stupid,” Morgan said. “So you thought, actually, that they’re not gonna find out?”
“No, I didn’t think so,” Santos replied. “But to that effect, it’s embarrassing, it’s humbling to have to admit your faults as a human being.”
