George Santos Appears to Flash White Power Symbol on House Floor
Instead of keeping a low profile after admitting to lying about significant portions of his biography, New York Republican Congressman-elect George Santos has put himself front-and-center in photos from the floor of the House of Representatives, including one in which he appears to flash a white power symbol.On Thursday evening, the incoming lawmaker gestured as he stood to cast a vote for Kevin McCarthy in the tenth round of votes for Speaker of the House.Waiting to be called, the incoming lawmaker stood in the aisle of the House chamber listening for his name to be called for the tenth time.“Santos,” the clerk called out.With his right hand raised and his left hand across his midsection, he made a sideways “OK” gesture by making his index finger and thumb meet.
Rep.-elect George Santos making what appears to be a white power gesture while voting on the floor of the House of Representatives.“McCarthy,” Santos said, revealing the gesture briefly as he waved his other hand before turning around, walking away, and moving both hands back down to his sides.C-Span video of the incident shows that Santos had pre-positioned his hand along his body in an unusual way to create the gesture.Far-right extremists, mainly white supremacists, have coopted the gesture to symbolize a “W” and “P” for white power, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The Southern Poverty Law Center also categorizes the gesture as a white power gesture but explains that on the right, the gesture is often used to troll liberals.Because the gesture is similar to the innocuous “OK” symbol, context matters, the hate-group monitoring group says.When groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Front conduct their activities, they have been photographed flashing.
