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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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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