George Santos Alleged 9/11 Attacks ‘Claimed My Mother’s Life’ – Five Months Before Saying She Died in December 2016
Screenshot via CBS New York
Rep.-Elect George Santos (R-NY) claimed his mother died in the Sept. 11 attacks, but just five months later tweeted she died in December 2016.
The tweets are the latest bizarre twist of the Santos saga, which has been rife with lies from the man who is slated to represent New York’s third congressional district beginning next week.
Yashar Ali flagged the tweets from 2021 on Wednesday night, posting Santos’ contradictory claims as screenshots next to one another. Mediaite confirmed their authenticity. As of this writing, they remain live on Santos’ account.
In a reply to an account ludicrously named “9/11 was a victimless crime,” Santos tweeted, “9/11 claimed my mothers life… so I’m blocking so I don’t ever have to read this again.”
In a tweet sent five months later, Santos stated his mother died in December 2016.
“December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor,” he wrote. “Mom you will live forever in my heart.”
Indeed, Santos’ campaign website states, “George’s mother was in her office in the South Tower on September 11, 2001, when the horrific events of that day unfolded. She survived the tragic events on September 11th, but she passed away a few years later when she lost her battle to cancer.”
Although many at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11 subsequently developed health problems such as cancer, 15 years is not “a few years later.”
Moreover, Santos previously claimed he lost four employees in the deadly 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. However, none of the 49 killed appear to be linked to any of his alleged companies.
A New York Times profile published earlier this month revealed that Santos fabricated much of his résumé. His claims about working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup turned out to be false, as was his contention that he attended Baruch College. Santos also claimed to be Jewish, but in a New York Post interview this week, he walked it back, calling himself “Jew-ish.”
CNN uncovered more fabrications. On Wednesday, the outlet reported that, contrary to his statements, Santos did not attend Horace Mann prep school. The report also says his claims about speaking at a private equity conference turn out to be false as well.
Moreover, a genealogist tapped by CNN to examine Santos’ family tree found no evidence of Jewish ancestry. CNN also uncovered a now-deleted GoFundMe page Santos reportedly started under a fake name.
In a separate report on Wednesday night, CNN said Santos is under federal investigation over his finances.
