GOP Congressman George Santos Is Accused of Flashing a White Power Symbol

New York Representative-elect George Santos has faced criticism after appearing to flash a white power symbol while casting his vote for Representative Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker.

During the voting process, Santos stood in the chamber aisle with his arms folded with a smirk on his face as waited to cast his tenth vote for McCarthy.

C-Span footage shows that after the clerk called his name, Santos raised his hand to reveal the white power symbol, which he had seemingly positioned beforehand.

Santos made the sideways ‘OK’ gesture, which has been co-opted by white supremacists because of its resemblance to the letters ‘WP’ as he voted for McCarthy for the tenth time.

Santos then spun around before walking towards the back of the room. He has yet to comment on allegations about the symbol, having faced a firestorm of fury over his lies about his resume and family background.

The symbol, in which the pointer finger and thumb form a circle representing ‘W’ and ‘P’ for ‘white power,’ was added to the Anti-Defamation League’s database of hate group symbols in 2019, although white supremacists had been using it since 2017.

Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic instructor Alejandra Caraballo highlighted Santos’ use of the symbol on Twitter.

‘The guy who lied about everything turns out to be a white supremacist who flashed a white power hand gesture on the house floor,’ she tweeted.

Many who are caught using the gesture claim plausible deniability in order to avoid being condemned for its usage.

Santos, who has previously lied about his education and his mother’s death, had been keeping a low profile during his time at the Capitol and has not commented on the gesture.

Santos is currently being investigated by federal, state, and local authorities for misleading his constituents and allegedly falsifying his financial disclosure reports.

He has reportedly hired a ‘fixer’ with ties to Steve Bannon and Carl Paladino to help improve his image.