George Santos Drag Report Puts His Biggest GOP Defenders in a Tough Spot

Consultant George Santos of New York is going through a brand new controversy following a document announcing the embattled congressman used to accomplish in drag, with a few of his staunchest GOP supporters final silent concerning the declare.

Journalist Marisa Kabas on Wednesday reported that Santos had carried out as an novice drag queen named “Kitara Revache” whilst dwelling in Brazil kind of 15 years in the past. Kabas additionally shared a photograph that purportedly displays Santos wearing drag along fellow drag queen Eula Rochard, who spoke to the journalist after just lately recognizing the congressman on Brazilian TV.

Santos continues to stand backlash for broadly mendacity about his background ahead of being elected in November. Uncertainties surrounding the Republican come with even his title. He was once reportedly referred to as Anthony Devolder on the time Kabas claimed he carried out in drag.

“I simply spoke by way of telephone with Eula Rochard, a Brazilian drag queen who was once buddies with George Santos when he lived close to Rio,” Kabas tweeted along the picture allegedly appearing the congressman in drag. “She mentioned everybody knew him as Anthony (*by no means* George), or by way of his drag title, Kitara, and confirms this picture is from a 2008 drag display at Icaraí Seashore.”

Whilst the individual within the picture shared by way of Kabas does undergo a resemblance to Santos, Newsweek has now not independently verified her reporting or the authenticity of the picture. Regardless, plenty of commentators assumed that the document was once true, mentioning Santos’ historical past of fabricating and apparently hiding information about his previous.

Many had been fast to accuse the congressman of hypocrisy for associating with the Republican Birthday celebration’s proper wing, which has just lately been on a campaign towards drag performers and different gender-nonconforming other folks. Some Republicans, akin to Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene, have baselessly claimed that kids are being sexually “groomed” at occasions like “Drag Queen Tale Hour.”

“WAIT, SO GEORGE SANTOS WAS A DRAG QUEEN?” Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia tweeted. “I will’t along with his lies and hypocrisy. He is a fraud who has related up with extremists who’re seeking to harm this very group. He is ill. Hello @Santos4Congress RESIGN NOW.”

“BREAKING: George Santos was once additionally a drag queen in Brazil, according to new studies,” tweeted legal professional Tristan Snell. “So does this imply Santos will now be banned in maximum Republican-led states?”

“Taking into consideration republicans have made drag queens their primary purpose du jour, enemy smart, I’m wondering how this may occasionally sit down with them,” communications strategist Brooke Hammerling tweeted. “Frankly that is the primary likable factor about @Santos4Congress tbh.”

Few distinguished Republicans had commented at the Santos drag declare on the time of newsletter. Significantly, those that did weigh in didn’t accuse the congressman of “grooming” kids by way of allegedly acting in drag.

So the newest is that #GeorgeSantos was once a drag performer in Brazil beneath the title Kitara Ravache,” conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza tweeted. “I am growing a brand new admire for the flexibility of this dude. Is there the rest he can’t be? Subsequent we will in finding out he spent a couple of days as an orangutan within the Mumbai zoo”

Speaker of the Area Kevin McCarthy, who appointed Santos to 2 congressional committees this week in spite of having had “issues” about his previous, was once a few of the Republicans who remained silent concerning the document.

Additionally particularly silent had been Greene and Consultant Matt Gaetz, who’ve each defended Santos towards complaint and requires him to renounce because of his historical past of mendacity. Greene and Gaetz have denounced drag performances, rhetoric that some say has impressed violence from the a long way proper.

When reached for remark, Greene’s Communications Director Nick Dyer instructed Newsweek that he and the congresswoman had been “now not getting concerned on this media-created drama.”

Greene has been at the vanguard of a contemporary Republican push towards plenty of gender-nonconforming other folks, which has incorporated efforts to legislate drag displays out of life in some puts.

Along with denouncing drag displays, Greene has additionally led the fee towards gender-affirming well being deal with transgender other folks, having described comparable surgical procedures as “mutilation.” Remaining 12 months, she offered a invoice that will federally criminalize declaring deal with transgender kids.

The scientific group, together with primary organizations just like the American Scientific Affiliation and the American Academy of Pediatrics, backs gender-affirming care as an efficient and doubtlessly life-saving remedy for adults and kids with gender dysphoria.

Newsweek has reached out to the offices of Santos, McCarthy and Gaetz for comment