Spin Cycle: Let’s Talk About … Santos?

Just over a week after President Trump brokered a deal that brought home the last of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists — and laid out a plan for lasting peace between Israel and Gaza — the latest reports indicate that Hamas militants have taken to publicly executing Palestinian civilians. So of course, CNN wanted to talk about — and to — former Rep. George Santos (R-NY).

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

Trump announced on Friday that he was commuting the remainder of the 7-year sentence that Santos was serving after he pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire-fraud charges in relation to his 2022 congressional campaign. Prior to that he’d been ousted by Congress after serving less than a year of his first term: Lawmakers voted 311-114 to oust Santos in December 2023 after a GOP-led House Ethics Committee report accused Santos of stealing campaign donors’ money to spend on Botox, OnlyFans, and other items.

Trump swiped at Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in the Truth Social post announcing the commutation, saying, “I started to think about George when the subject of Democrat Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal came up again. As everyone remembers, “Da Nang” stated for almost twenty years that he was a proud Vietnam Veteran, having endured the worst of the War, watching the Wounded and Dead as he raced up the hills and down the valleys, blood streaming from his face … This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

So on Sunday, despite the continued bloodshed in Gaza and the ongoing Democrat-driven government shutdown, much of the conversation on CNN was focused squarely on Santos.

Anchor Dana Bash started with Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), asking whether she took issue with Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of the disgraced congressman.

“[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?” Bash asked.

“Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for himself,” Britt replied. “What I appreciate is President Trump’s commitment to the American people.”

BASH: “[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?”

BRITT: “Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for… pic.twitter.com/3SvurPWDHk

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

Bash then took the question to Santos directly, asking him whether he planned to make restitution.

“You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?” she asked.

“I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don’t know what that is,” he replied. “If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no.”

BASH: “You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?”

SANTOS: “I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don’t know what that is… If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s… pic.twitter.com/EVBHKzKGTg

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

Bash then pivoted to note that some were critical of Trump’s decision to commute his sentence, and Santos pushed back, essentially arguing that there would be people criticizing Trump no matter what he did.

“I’m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,” Santos said.

George Santos shrugs off criticism of Trump commuting his prison sentence: “I’m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics.” pic.twitter.com/YxjwjV5F6u

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

“I’m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don’t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I’m humble or remorseful, but I can just do the best in my actions moving forward,” Santos added.

George Santos responds to former Republican colleagues who say he shouldn’t have been freed from prison: “I’m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don’t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I’m humble or remorseful, but I… pic.twitter.com/1TyrdeeDXl

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

He went on to say that he’d already thought of a way that he could potentially begin to give back, saying, “I told this to the president, that I’d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less incarcerated people … If I can be a part of helping that, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future.”

Santos: “I told this to the president, that I’d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less… pic.twitter.com/6qXkS9c3z3

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

And it didn’t end there: Santos was also the topic of a panel discussion to round out “State of the Union.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said she wasn’t in favor of Trump’s decision, but that she planned to withhold judgment and give Santos a chance to prove he’d changed.

“I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who’s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I think it was a wrong decision, primarily because this is somebody who stole millions of dollars from his donors. He defrauded the public and his voters … I wish him well. I hope he does good, and I hope he sticks to his word that he’s a renewed person.”

New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis on Trump commuting George Santos’ prison sentence:

“I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who’s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I… pic.twitter.com/I77ZfKoMw7

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025

And then Paul Begala tried to make it about Trump …

“This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos,” he quipped.

Paul Begala: “This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos.”

GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Brad Todd, and Faiz Shakir join Dana Bash to react to President Trump’s controversial decision to commute… pic.twitter.com/W7SQ50hJpp

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 19, 2025