McCarthy Laughs Off George Santos Reelection Bid

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy reportedly burst into laughter when asked if he would be backing a newly announced election bid from Republican Congressman George Santos.

Santos, who has faced calls to resign for telling a series of outrageous lies while campaigning last year, said on Monday that he would be "proudly" seeking to retain his seat in 2024. The first-term Republican is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and is facing additional federal and New York state probes.

McCarthy, who was backed by Santos during the tumultuous vote for House speaker, laughed and said that he would "wait and see" what other candidates file when asked if he would support the New York congressman on Monday, according to tweets from CNN reporter Manu Raju and NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur.

McCarthy rewarded Santos for his support in January by seating him on two House committees. However, Santos withdrew from the committees weeks later as support cratered. A poll conducted at the time found that a large majority of voters, including Republicans, wanted Santos to resign.

A Santos press release on Monday praised the congressman for "setting the bar high," arguing that he "has proven to be a diligent legislator and outspoken critic of the Washington Establishment."

"I grew up poor with a single mom, and thanks to the American dream, a
poor boy of immigrant parents in Queens can grow up to serve his community in the halls of Congress," Santos said in a statement.

"When I ran in 2022, no one said we'd win," he added. "Well, guess what? ... [I] not only won but made history as the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress."

Santos went on to blast the political left for "pushing radical agendas," while boasting that he was "not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done."

The congressman faced backlash after filing papers with the Federal Election Commission last month for his reelection campaign, although his campaign was not officially launched until Monday.

Santos got into a Twitter spat with Democratic Nassau County legislator Josh Lafazan over the weekend as multiple news outlets reported that the Republican's campaign announcement was imminent.

Lafazan has also announced his candidacy, tweeting that he had "raised $350,000 to kick George Santos out of the House" on Monday. He was previously a candidate in the 2022 election but fell short at the Democratic primary stage.

"Santos is a liar and a fraud," Lafazan tweeted after Santos made his campaign announcement. "He belongs in prison, not the House of Representatives ... I'm the Democrat who will replace Santos in Congress."

Santos Communications Director Naysa Woomer declined comment when asked by Newsweek via email about McCarthy's reaction.