In an act that was equal parts politically calculated, morally confounding, and unmistakably Trumpian, President Donald J. Trump on Friday commuted the sentence of disgraced former Congressman George Santos — ordering his immediate release from prison and adding yet another chapter to what may go down as the most unpredictable redemption arc in American political history.
Yes, that George Santos.
The same man who once swore he was a volleyball champion, a Wall Street banker, Jewish (or “Jew-ish,” depending on the day), and a descendant of Holocaust survivors — and who wound up expelled from Congress and serving an 87-month federal sentence for wire fraud and identity theft.
And yet, there he was, the beneficiary of a presidential commutation, courtesy of the same man who rewrote the political playbook and now seems to be scribbling in the margins with a Sharpie.
Trump, posting to Truth Social, wasted no time setting the tone: “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” A classic line that, while likely to send legacy media into a full-blown aneurysm, neatly summarizes Trump’s loyalty-first ethos. In his view, Santos may be a liar, a fraud, and possibly delusional — but he voted the right way. And that counts.
But Trump wasn’t done. He then launched a rhetorical missile at Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), dredging up the well-documented (and mostly ignored) scandal where Blumenthal falsely claimed to be a Vietnam War veteran — earning political clout and re-election while never actually seeing combat. Trump’s point? If Democrats can lionize a man with stolen valor, how is Santos — who, to Trump’s mind, committed “lesser sins” — unworthy of mercy?
“He was a COMPLETE AND TOTAL FRAUD.” Trump wrote of Blumenthal. “He never went to Vietnam… his War Hero status was MADE UP.” Say what you want about Trump’s delivery, but he’s not wrong about that part.
And therein lies the Trump doctrine: selective justice is worse than no justice at all. If Blumenthal gets a free pass, why not Santos? If Democrats can get away with lies cloaked in moral posturing, why can’t a Republican fraudster be forgiven — especially one who’s endured solitary confinement and, reportedly, “horrible mistreatment”?
That’s the logic. It’s not clean. It’s not comfortable. But it’s effective.
Critics will foam at the mouth. The media will run wall-to-wall coverage lamenting the fall of democratic norms and the rise of tribal pardon culture. And yet, Trump will come out ahead — not because Santos is suddenly a hero, but because Trump once again reminded the country of the double standard that rules Washington.
George Santos is not going to be welcomed back into polite society. He’s not getting a book deal or a CNN contributor gig. He’s likely destined for the cable news afterlife of memes and low-rent political commentary.
But he will, as Trump said, “have a great life.”
And more importantly — Trump reminded America that if redemption exists for the left’s liars and grifters, it had better exist for the right’s as well.
