Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., criticized CNN as a “hack network” during a contentious interview in which he was asked about the multiple fraud allegations that have been made against him.
In an interview that aired late Tuesday evening, host Erin Burnett asked the freshman congressman about a U.S. Navy veteran who accused Santos of scamming him.
Santos said, “I’ve never met him,” and added, “I just love that the pile-on effect just keeps going on. People just now, everybody knows me. Everybody’s met me. Everybody’s had an interaction with me. And then obviously they go on [a] hack network who just take it for gospel without any proof. And you guys report it as gospel and truth.”
Burnett went on to ask Santos about documents CNN obtained that allegedly show a deal agreement between the New York Republican and Brazilian prosecutors involving a 2008 case in which Santos allegedly defrauded a clerk in the Rio de Janeiro area out of clothes and shoes worth $1,300.
“No, I’m not engaging on this because, again, if you can’t prove to the American people your allegations, then I’m not going to entertain it. You, please, you guys need to be better prepared next time.”
Burnett said the network will “stand by our reporting,” and noted that the “things that you’ve said that are dishonest have been wide-ranging,” an apparent reference to revelations that Santos fabricated large parts of his background prior to being elected to Congress.
“Erin, you know what would be great? And I’m not deflecting, but I’m just going to call you out here and CNN. Have you brought Joe Biden on the network and spoken about all the things he said across the last 46 years? Because I haven’t seen it,” Santos said.
Santos currently faces 13 criminal charges, including seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty to each charge.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.