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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Video emerges of George Santos introducing himself as ‘Anthony Devolder’ at a pro-Trump LGBTQ event

EPA

Member of Congress George Santos is under fire yet again after an old video surfaced on social media where the Republican can be heard introducing himself as "Anthony Devolder".

The Long Island representative is facing calls for resignation after admitting to a plethora of lies on his resume, starting from his high school to college and employment. The first-time representative also drew ire from Jewish groups for claiming that he was of Jewish descent and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors.

Now, a video clip posted by an anonymous Twitter account PatriotTakes, shows Mr Santos asking questions to a panel at a pro-Trump Walk Away Foundation event in 2019. The event was specifically opened to the LGBTQ community.

"My name is Anthony Devolder, I'm a New York City resident," Mr Santos introduces himself, as seen in the video.

He continues: "I recently started a group called United for Trump, so if you guys want to follow, that would be awesome."

The Walk Away campaign is stated to be a grassroots movement for individuals who have "walked away" from the "Left" and share their story of leaving behind identity politics.

At the 2019 event, Mr Santos called the Walk Away founder and “former liberal” Brandon Straka his “idol”.

The congressman, who claims his full name to be George Anthony Devolder Santos, was reportedly running a congressional bid for Democratic member Tom Suozzi’s Long Island and Queens seat at the time. Mr Santos lost the seat in 2020 but secured victory this year.

"Lmfaooooooooo. So which is the fake name, Anthony Devolder or George Santos," asked Florida congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost while sharing the clip, which has now garnered over 3.5 million views.

“I still think about the ‘Jew-Ish’ thing,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet.

Ted Lieu, a member of Congress from California, reposted a 2020 exchange found by CNN in which Mr Santos went by "George Devolder" on Twitter.

"Why are you still supporting the Republican Congressman purportedly known as George Santos," Mr Liu asked, after House speaker Kevin McCarthy defended Mr Santos saying the “voters elected him to serve”.

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