George Santos gloats after House effort to expel him fails: "If you come for me..."
Washington DC - The US of Representatives has voted not to expel indicted Congressman George Santos, who celebrated with a typically controversial social media post.
The final vote was 179 to 213, with only 24 Republicans voting in favor, while 31 Democrats opposed it.
The resolution, which needed a two-thirds supermajority to pass, was brought forth by a group of six New York Republicans – Anthony D'Esposito, Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Marc Molinaro, Brandon Williams, and Nick Langworthy – who expected their effort to catch on "like wildfire."
Santos, who is currently facing 23 criminal charges, including fraud, theft, and money laundering, has argued that he shouldn't be expelled for his legal issues before he's had the chance to argue his innocence in court.
The Daily Beast reported that Santos initially reacted to the news in a now-deleted X post that featured a photo of him donning a crown, with the caption, "If you come for me, you best not miss."
He later reshared the text from the deleted post, without the meme, describing the vote as a "victory" and adding: "We all have rights under this great Constitutional Republic, and I'll fight for our right to uphold them till my last dying breath."
Cover photo: Drew Angerer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP