'Have a great life': Trump orders immediate release of controversial ex-lawmaker George Santos

US President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of former Republican congressman George Santos. The controversial political figure was serving seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft. On Friday, Trump called for the immediate release of the infamous conman.

In a post on social media, Trump said Santos “has been horribly mistreated”, adding, “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck, George, have a great life!” It is pertinent to note that the former lawmaker was only the sixth in American history to be expelled from Congress after a damning ethics report in 2023.

During his trial, Santos admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people, including his family members. He is currently serving his sentence at a minimum-security jail in New Jersey. In April, when Santos was sentenced, a judge told him: “You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.”

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Trump defends the move

In his Friday post, Trump justified the move by criticising a Democratic lawmaker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he accused of fabricating his US military service. “This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump wrote.

The president has previously called for an investigation into Blumenthal over the claim. The Democrat has acknowledged that he misspoke on numerous occasions about his time in the military, but has said the mishaps were more than a decade old. “This allegation of 15 years ago has been really rejected by the voters of Connecticut three times, overwhelmingly reelecting me,” Blumenthal told CNN earlier this month.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Santos told the Associated Press that it remains unclear when his client will be released. “The defence team applauds President Trump for doing the right thing,” said Andrew Mancilla. “The sentence was far too long.”

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During his April hearing, Santos reportedly cried in court and begged for forgiveness, saying: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.” Prosecutors argued that the right-wing politician had lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle. He was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes, and in 2023, he became the first expelled member of Congress in more than 20 years.