Bowen Yang Gave the George Santos Impression I Didn’t Know I Needed

The “Saturday Night Live” star nailed the lying New York congressman.

Can't you see the resemblance?Tom Williams/CQ/Roll Call/Zuma

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George Santos’ ceaseless lies might further diminish the often dubious reputation of Republicans in Congress, but they are also occasionally very funny. On this week’s Saturday Night Live, Bowen Yang offered a hilarious portrayal of the New York congressman—and provided a persuasive explanation for their lack of physical resemblance.

“I know that I look Asian,” he said, “but that’s because my maiden name is Chão, as in Fogo de Chão, because I’m Brazilian.”

The cold open introduced Santos as a Heisman Trophy winner with more championship rings than Tom Brady. After saying he was “proud to be the first African American quarterback to ever dunk a football,” Yang’s Santos explains that he played college ball at the University of College. (I think he should have claimed to be a Professor of Logic at the University of Science.) And, yes, he appears in drag.

Yang reappeared as Santos on the Weekend Update, where he claimed to have made breakthroughs in nuclear fission and to be descended from the people who told Anne Frank, “You should be writing this down.” The sketch also hinted at Santos’ ties to Russian oligarchs and the mysterious source of his wealth. Asked by Colin Jost how he suddenly became a millionaire, Santos replies, “The only connection I have to Russia is that my great-grand-uncle was Rasputin, and my great-grandmother was the little bat in the movie.”

Check it out:

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This is how change happens.

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This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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