George Santos has worn many hats: serial cheater, congressman, expelled congressman, federal prison inmate, pardon recipient, podcast host, online betting influencer under investigation by the federal government.
NEW YORK — George Santos has worn many hats: conman, congressman, prison inmate, podcast host. Obvious next gig? Participant in a reality show.
In September, Santos will appear on the fifth season of Fox’s “SWAT: The World’s Toughest Test,” a grueling competition that will subject contestants to chemical gas poisoning and other military-themed tests in the Malaysian jungle, the network said Wednesday.
“I got my fat ass off the coach and tried something new!” Santos wrote in a post on X, along with a promotional image of himself standing next to a tree with a stern expression on his face. “And it changed EVERYTHING! I can’t wait to share this experience with all of you!”
He’ll go up against more than a dozen other contestants, including former NBA player Matt Barnes and actor Ruby Rose, in a show Fox called “the ultimate test of physical, mental and emotional resilience.”
Santos was elected to the New York House of Representatives in 2022 as a Republican, but served in office for less than a year after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story. He was expelled from Congress after facing criminal charges of stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.
He pleaded guilty, but President Donald Trump commuted his sentence after he served about 84 days in prison. He later tried to reboot his political career by running again for the House of Representatives, but quickly dropped out after failing to raise money.
Last month, Kalshi, an online predictions marketplace, reported him to federal authorities after he bragged that he would attend Trump’s State of the Union address and then allegedly bet on his turnout. This caused Polymarket, another online prediction platform where he worked as an influencer, to end its paid relationship with him. Santos called the allegations “absurd.”
He did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Challenges in Fox’s “S.W.A.T.: The World’s Toughest Challenge” included a claustrophobic search of an underground bunker and a search for a supply load while suspended high above the jungle surface, according to the network.