Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) got into a heated confrontation ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Santos, the truth-challenged congressman from New York, had positioned himself on the center aisle of the House chamber, where lawmakers often stand on such occasions in order to shake hands with the president.
As members of the Senate walked into the chamber and made their way down the aisle, Romney and Santos shared a tense exchange. The two men didn't shake hands and, although there was no audio of the exchange, Romney appeared to tell Santos he "ought to be embarrassed."
"You don't belong here," Romney told Santos, according to a member who witnessed the exchange and recounted it to CNN.
"Look, he's a sick puppy. He shouldn't have been there," Romney told reporters after the speech. "Given the fact that he's under ethics investigation, he should be sitting in the back row and being quiet instead of parading in front of the president."
Santos, meanwhile, appeared to mouth to a colleague "what an asshole," according to an ABC News producer.
After winning his election in November, Santos confirmed that he had lied about nearly every aspect of his personal biography, including his academic credentials, work history and ancestry. Although he has refused to resign despite calls from his own constituents, Santos recently stepped down from his House committee assignments.
Biden also walked by Santos on Tuesday, but the congressman didn't get a chance to shake the president's hand. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) positioned herself between Santos and the aisle just before the president entered the chamber and got a handshake from Biden instead.
Arthur Delaney contributed reporting.
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