Embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who is facing growing calls to resign just days after being sworn into Congress, took a shot at a former Republican lawmaker who said he should step down, mocking him for taking a cable news job after leaving government.
“I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living,” Santos said in a statement posted on Twitter on Wednesday.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) replied to Santos’s tweet and said, “Resign now.”
“Go on @CNN and cry about it,” Santos shot back in another tweet, attaching a photo of the former lawmaker tearing up during a hearing conducted by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
On Wednesday, Nassau County Republicans, including Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), asked Santos to resign following revelations that he fabricated portions of his résumé during his successful campaign to win election to the House.
Kinzinger, a six-term congressman who emerged in recent years as a leading critic of former President Trump and his allies, last week joined CNN as a senior political commentator.
Trump and his supporters have long held a negative view of CNN, and the mainstream press more generally, arguing top names at the cable news channel are biased against conservatives and Republicans.
Kinzinger’s hire comes as CNN’s new president, Chris Licht, works to change that perception and boost the network’s dipping ratings and profitability.
The former Republican lawmaker appeared on the network a number of times during last week’s hotly contested House Speaker’s race, which dragged on for five days and dominated headlines.