The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: George Santos Goes Off – Trump Loyalty, Prison, PTSD & What’s Next

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: George Santos

Episode Overview

In this candid and often confrontational interview, Tara Palmeri sits down with former Congressman George Santos days after his early release from prison—commuted by Donald Trump—to discuss his controversial political career, life in and after Congress, allegations and admissions of fraud, loyalty to Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene, his experience in prison, mental health struggles, and what comes next for him. Santos offers defiant justifications, personal reflections, and characteristically unfiltered responses, giving listeners a rare, inside look at one of America’s most notorious political figures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

George Santos: An Aberration, Outlier, or Symptom?

• Santos' Self-Image:
  • Sees himself as a "one time limited edition" in politics, not representative of a broader political trend.
    • “I consider myself more of an outlier in politics or when I was in politics. I kind of like to say that I’ve removed myself from politics at this point.” (01:01)
• On Future ‘Santos’ in Congress:
  • Hopes the Republican Party grows to accept more diversity—“so long as your ideology is conservative.” (01:42)

Legal Fallout, Donor Money, and Ethics

• On His Guilty Plea:
  • Claims DOJ forced his hand, insists most allegations are overblown. Acknowledges straw donations were a mistake but repeatedly distances himself from other specific charges.
    • “My crime and I’m very, very comfortable in admitting that it was a poor choice, was straw donation. That’s where the whole thing starts, people. I am sick and tired of hearing online people say, oh, he stole from a dying veterans dog. That’s not true.” (02:44)
• On Donor Money Usage:
  • Downplays accusations about campaign expenditures (e.g. Sephora, OnlyFans), argues that campaign image is fair game.
    • “Sephora is an expenditure on a lot of campaigns. Where do you think politicians buy their makeup?” (04:41)
  • Pushes back against notion that he owes donors directly, as DOJ determines restitution, not individuals.
    • “By law, I owe nobody, nothing.” (04:02)
• On Ethics:
  • Insists campaign finance errors warrant learning, not condemnation; “stay the fuck away from money.” (20:46)

Congress, Corruption, and American Politics

• On Colleagues and Corruption:
  • Refuses to compare himself to other members or call out names:
    • “They are. I mean, look at where we are. We’re $38 trillion in debt. But I’m not going to go like head to head and calling people out. That’s just not something I want to do.” (07:09)
• On His Own Exit:
  • “I feel like politics was the most toxic thing that happened in my life ... I’m so humbled and glad that I’m not there anymore.” (10:45)
  • No interest in returning: “I want a simpler life. That’s for sure. That’s 100% for sure.” (20:46)

Loyalty: Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene

• Relationships and Political Factions:
  • Professes deep friendship with Marjorie Taylor Greene and strong support for Trump, but denies “devotion” or “adoration.”
    • “My devotion is to God. And it’s so fucking infuriating that I have to keep listening to people say that I have devotion and adoration for Donald Trump.” (12:21)
  • On tension within the movement: “I will go to bat for Marjorie the same way she went to bat for me.” (08:54)
• On Trump’s Clemency:
  • Grateful for commutation, but rejects link to special treatment due to fandom or loyalty.
    • “I owe the man a lot of gratitude. That's for— for goddamn sure.” (15:27)
• Unwilling to Choose:
  • On the hypothetical of having to choose between Trump and Greene: “There isn’t a world where I have to make that choice.” (09:28)
• Naming His Children:
  • Jokes he may name his children Donald and Marjorie. “Yeah. That is actually fact. Yep, that is true.” (09:38)

Prison, Repentance, and PTSD

• Prison Experience:
  • Describes dire conditions (slop food, solitary), invisibility, and feeling “destroyed from within.”
    • “I was in a prison in solitary confinement for 41 days being tortured. Like, that's not. That's un-American at best.” (12:46)
  • Learned hard lessons, claims renewed focus on integrity and compliance.
    • “Make sure that you cross your T’s, dot your I’s, don’t play fast and loose with anything that is regulatory regulation, and especially, stay the fuck away from money.” (20:46)
• Repentance:
  • Admits he’s “repentant” for hurting friends and family:
    • “Of course I’m repentant. I hurt friends, I hurt family members, disappointed people. But I can say that until I’m blue in the face.” (22:36)
• Mental Health and PTSD:
  • Open about receiving therapy and being diagnosed with PTSD, especially from solitary confinement:
    • “I have a therapist. I have a psychiatrist, and I did get diagnosed with PTSD. And it's not from prison. It's from the isolation from the 41 days ... Tight Spaces has become somewhat of difficult. And I have the same reoccurring nightmare every single night ...” (39:41)
  • Advocates for mental health awareness: “We lean on one another as human beings in order for us to get by difficult situations.” (40:52)

Media, Public Perception, and Honesty

• On Media Narrative:
  • Blames journalists for spreading misinformation and sensationalism, claims some were disreputable (“escorts posing as journalists”). (24:38)
• On Being Honest:
  • Asserts he’s “honest, forthcoming, transparent,” regardless of public opinion.
    • “I think I’m honest. I think I’m forthcoming, and I think I’ve been abundantly generous with allowing people to have a look inside of my life.” (36:55)
• On Internet’s Toxicity:
  • Describes receiving abuse online, denounces social division:
    • “The toxicity of the internet right now for me is my biggest turnoff.” (22:36)
• Personal Justification:
  • Frames himself as a generous friend, recounts acts of charity:
    • “I dropped off 50 fucking turkeys because people can’t eat and have a turkey this Thanksgiving ... I don’t do it for show.” (26:48)
• On Desire to Repair/Restitute:
  • Wants to repay donors or give to charity if possible, but claims procedural barriers:
    • “If I can’t give it to restitution to the people intended that the DOJ wanted it to. I’ll just give it to a charity. So a victim’s charity ... That’s something I want to do because it’s for me.” (28:38)

Scandals, Double Standards, and Anna Delvey

• On Meeting Anna Delvey:
  • Dismisses the “fraudster” label, sees her as ambitious and honest in her own way.
• On Grift in Congress and Media Bias:
  • Points to other scandals (e.g., Sheila McCormick, Bob Menendez), claiming media ignores Democrats’ wrongdoings while obsessing over his.
    • “Where’s the obsession with Sheila McCormick? ... She stole $5 million from FEMA.” (34:25)
• On American Politics:
  • “Congress is a joke, bipartisan joke. You want to talk about - Oh, Joe Santos was a joke. There's sex scandals ...” (33:29)

Reflections and What’s Next

• Post-Prison Plans:
  • Alludes to business and media projects; suggests 2026 will be busy for him.
    • “There’s so much on the plate right now ... 2026 is going to be a really busy year for Jordan.” (31:10)
• On Return to Politics:
  • Firm: “No.”
• On Life Philosophy:
  • Aspires to simplicity, learning from past, and never repeating mistakes.
• Presidential Favorites:
  • Top 5: Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, George Washington, John F. Kennedy (“Honest Abe is the best president this country’s ever had.”) (38:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ethics and Political Culture:
  • “If a person is donating to a campaign, and it is to fund all the operations of the campaign and candidate image, candid image goes with that.” (05:13)
• On Political Expulsion:
  • “I feel like I dodged a bullet. I feel like politics was the most toxic thing that happened in my life and being in Congress was the most self destructive thing that happened in my life.” (10:45)
• On President Trump:
  • “I'm okay with saying I support President Trump, that I think he’s a great leader for our country, that he’s for the Republican Party, but I don’t think it’s something where we should be conflating the two things.” (12:21)
• On Regret:
  • “I did some dumb things. I accept that. I admit that. And ... It is a part of my life that will help reshape ... the way I conduct myself moving forward.” (19:28)
• On Mental Health:
  • “I like to talk about mental health awareness and talk about that. It’s okay. We all have it. Because ... we lean on one another as human beings in order for us to get by difficult situations.” (40:52)

Important Timestamps

• Santos' Take on His Place in Politics – 01:01–01:39
• Admission of Straw Donations – 02:44
• Sephora, OnlyFans & Campaign Funds – 04:41–05:27
• Corruption in Congress & Burnout – 07:09–10:45
• Santos on Trump, Greene, and Loyalty – 08:54–09:38, 12:21, 13:54
• Prison Life, Isolation, & Lesson Learned – 15:35, 16:58, 18:12, 19:28
• Repentance & Public Perception – 22:36–24:23
• Media Critique & Personal Justification – 24:38–26:48
• Restitution Plans – 28:10, 28:38
• PTSD & Mental Health – 39:41–40:52
• Favorite Presidents – 38:20

Tone

The tone throughout is combative, unfiltered, and sometimes darkly humorous. Santos oscillates between self-justification, sarcasm, regret, and bouts of blunt self-reflection, all while taking aim at political adversaries, the press, and the court of public opinion. Palmeri maintains a persistent, probing style—drawing out admissions, challenges, and flashes of candor.

Conclusion

The episode offers a revealing and often provocative look at George Santos' mindset—his refusals, regrets, rationalizations, and defiant humor—while exploring the darker sides of American political culture, media frenzy, and the human consequences of public disgrace. Listeners get an unusually intimate perspective on life after scandal, including rare openness about mental health and the enduring costs of political spectacle.