George Santos Defends JD Vance Over Alleged ‘Gender Bender’ Gear
The embattled former congressman has some advice for the GOP vice presidential nominee after photos surfaced online purporting to show Vance in a dress and a blonde wig.
JIM WATSON/Getty Images
JD Vance may not want advice on drag from George Santos. The former New York congressman is, after all, embroiled in a scandal of his own over his finances, including an accusation that he used campaign cash to buy designer clothes.
But while the GOP vice presidential nominee has kept a discreet silence over the appearance online of photos purporting to show him dressed in a blonde wig and a dress during his days at Yale, Santos is only too happy to speak up for him.
The former Republican rep. found himself in a similar position last year when photos and videos of him “having fun” in his earlier days in Rio de Janeiro, as drag queen “Kitara Ravache,” were posted online.
But Santos is emphatic that the Vance photos—if they are, indeed, of the Ohio senator—are definitely not drag.
“To call that drag is disingenuous and I think most dudes at some point in their lives have played around with costumes that are gender bender,” Santos told TMZ. “Couples do that all the time. The wife will dress up as a guy, the husband will dress up as a woman. It’s definitely not drag.”
Santos has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges, including lying to Congress, collecting unemployment benefits while working, and using campaign contributions for personal expenses. He was expelled from the House in December after an ethics probe claimed there was “overwhelming evidence” he’d broken the law.
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His lawyers have asked that potential jurors are asked their opinions of Santos before the trial because of the negative publicity he has faced.
He told TMZ: “It’s so funny that people are so obsessed that someone’s in drag or someone’s put a wig on. In my case 18 years ago when I was a minor and nobody held back punches at something I did as a kid and had fun.
“Now JD Vance, if that’s drag then I guess all these other drag queens on Ru Paul’s Drag Race can all be considered cisgender women at this point because, holy crap, is that bad drag. Because the guy went to a costume party, put on a freakin’ cheap wig from Party City or something similar.
“I mean, it’s hilarious,” he added. “The left is hammering him on something they fight to create special protection for, which are drag queens. “I don’t understand what the outrage is here. I strongly suggest that it’s not drag at all, in no way, shape, or form.”
Asked if Donald Trump would care if he saw the photos, Santos responded: “Absolutely not. I mean don’t forget Donald Trump motorboated Rudy Giuliani in drag for charity. So come on, what are we talking about? This is silly.”
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