George Santos Thanks Trump for “Seeing the Hustle, Not the Handcuffs”

NEW YORK — Freshly freed from prison and glowing with the confidence of a man who’s never faced consequences, George Santos appeared on CNN Sunday to thank President Trump for what he called “a visionary act of mercy.”

“President Trump didn’t just see my crimes—he saw my potential,” Santos said. “He recognized that fraud isn’t evil—it’s just ambition without all the moral baggage.” The former congressman, whose sentence was commuted last week after serving less than three months of a seven-year term, praised Trump for “seeing the hustle, not the handcuffs.”

Santos insisted he would only repay his $374,000 in restitution “if legally required,” clarifying that “as of right now, the law seems pretty chill about it.” Asked whether he felt remorse, Santos replied, “I feel blessed. Some people go to Harvard to study ethics—I skipped that part and still made it.”

Santos said he’s eager to “get back to work serving the public—or at least monetizing it.”

At press time, he announced a new venture: The Honest Hustle Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “helping young conservatives turn white-collar crime into generational wealth.”