Saturday Night Live began with Bowen Yang reprising his role as George Santos, marking what may be one of the final instances of the former congressman being humorously depicted on such a prominent platform due to his recent expulsion from the House of Representatives on Friday.
Santos’ removal, the sixth expulsion in the chamber’s history, stemmed from his indictment on nearly two dozen charges, including identity theft, wire fraud, and credit card fraud. A damning House ethics report released earlier this month detailed numerous misdeeds, such as the misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses. The report concluded that Santos had “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
Bowen Yang (Credits: YouTube)
Dressed in black, reminiscent of Santos during his expulsion vote, Yang initiated his farewell press conference outside the Capitol by pleading for an end to the “assaults” against him. He addressed the assembled crowd, stating, “This entire country has been bullying me just because I’m a proud, gay thief. What else is new? America hates to see a Latina queen winning.” Yang continued to describe the ongoing scrutiny since his election, framing it as a witch hunt. Despite admitting guilt, he asserted, “If I’m guilty of anything, it’s for loving too much/fraud.”
Yang humorously interacted with a reporter, played by Ego Nwodim, asking for her “name and routing number.” Responding to the notion of humiliation, he remarked, “Fine, so I’m no longer Congressman Santos. I’m a regular old professor major general reverend astronaut Santos, protector of the realm, princess of Genovia.” Reflecting on his situation, he acknowledged the setback of expulsion and prosecution for 23 felonies but emphasized not letting it ruin his Kwanzaa celebration.
When asked about his legacy, Yang envisioned being remembered as a martyr and champion of the people, comparing himself to modern icons Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe. To cap off his farewell, Yang sat at the piano and performed a self-deprecating tribute to the tune of Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” recounting the lowest moments of his brief tenure in office. The lyrics playfully touched on living a scandalous life and being the deceptive counterpart to even Donald Trump.
