Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty
On his first day in Congress, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) sat in a back corner of the House chamber—alone and glum—like a new kid in school who couldn’t find anyone to sit with him at lunch.
But the very next day, Santos seemed determined to find his friend group. Instead of sitting in the back, Santos threw himself right into the mix; he found a spot in the middle of the House chamber, where the most controversial conservatives usually sit. He found a spot—as one GOP member called it—in “sinners row,” next to members like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
As the week went on, Santos seemed to be hitting it off on the island of misfit Republicans. One day during the speaker votes, Santos and Greene were spotted exchanging jokes, letting out loud guffaws, occasionally leaning over to whisper to each other. It was a regular occurrence throughout the week to see Santos and Gaetz huddled with each other during votes.