Don Lemon Calls Out Kevin McCarthy to ‘Have the Backbone’ to Demand George Santos’ Resignation

CNN’s Don Lemon challenged House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to have “the backbone” to call for Congressman George Santos’ (R-NY) resignation, just as New York GOP officials have done.

Lemon was reacting to an interview that Kaitlan Collins did on Thursday morning with New York State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R). Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick was among the New York Republican leaders who held a press conference on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Santos. The newly elected Republican member of Congress is facing multiple investigations amid revelations that he fabricated virtually his entire life story while running for office.

Santos told reporters he won’t resign, and as Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick dissected his lies on CNN, Collins asked her, “Do you want to see speaker Kevin McCarthy back up your calls for George Santos to resign?”

“I do,” she answered. “I think that he has an obligation to make sure the 3rd Congressional district is represented by an honest person and a person of his word. How will we ever trust anything that George Santos says going forward, based on what’s gone on? I think the congressional district deserves a better representative.”

McCarthy weighed in on the Santos controversy by saying the embattled rep could stay in Congress unless something is revealed: “that rises to the occasion that he did something wrong.” After Collins wrapped up her conversation with Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Lemon applauded the latter for demanding accountability for Santos more so than McCarthy.

“I commend her for what she’s doing, for standing up,” he said. “It would be great if Kevin McCarthy had the backbone to do exactly what she’s doing.”

Watch above via CNN.

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