George Santos makes hasty exit after being expelled from Congress

We are going to go now to the floor and listen to what's happening. It looks as though they are going to begin this vote. Let's listen in. Going to be 5 minutes. They can hold it open for longer. But as money suggested, it's not likely to go. You're seeing how quickly right now, how quickly people are. Yeah. And just watch the bottom number on the left under. Yeah. Now, I guess we don't know if they're 435 members voting today. At least I don't if there are that number needs to be to 90 to expel

George. That's right. Because there's two thirds supermajority needed in this particular action. I want to get to you, David Chalian. Looking at all this and hearing how this really what might be considered a major shift from thinking he was going to get pushed out and expelled to now seeing this shift, what does that tell you about leadership? Even though they aren't whipping the votes, they are making their statement very clear by saying they are not voting to expel. Right. You know, we heard

Speaker Johnson earlier in the week say this should be a vote. That is a matter of conscience. I would imagine all votes for members of Congress should be a matter of conscience. But he said that he was uncomfortable with it. And then today, obviously, the dramatic development of him saying that he is indeed going to vote against this resolution to expel Sanders. And as you're discussing, I mean, I think it is both things can be true, right? It could be both the process precedent and the politi

cs that are dictating motivations here. I do think it's worth noting, guys, if indeed Santos survives this and we'll see, you're up to 200 votes now. As you're looking for that two thirds majority. And as John noted, if all 435 members are president voting, that'll be two 92. Get him expelled. But I would just say, if indeed he survives this, Democrats would indeed get the best outcome here in the sense that they get to vote to expel him. And yet keep him as a poster boy to run against for again

st the Republican Party overall over the next many months. And again, the other. No, I'm sorry. No, I was just going to say, just keep an eye on what is happening. What you're seeing is the Republican number of who is voting in the in favor of expelling the yays. Is it? 76 right now? 70 Now it's at 77. If all members are voting in the chamber and voting they have now and all Democrats are voting to expel him. They have potentially passed the threshold of expelling him. However, an important note

. They can change their votes. So we do not call this. You do not know. One declares anything or until the gavel lands, they still have 2 minutes plus left on here. Let's leave this up, guys, and bring up Manu Raju. Yeah, just this again. Again, this number right here. 85 is absolutely enough to boot him if they don't change those votes right now without context. Let's talk about the last vote and how he weighed what he survived the last vote to expel. It was 21. It was 179 in favor that include

d 24 Republicans voting to expel as you can see here, it's far beyond that now and past the threshold that we have been discussing. However, again, lots of caveats. Until it happens, it doesn't happen Monty, I think Monty is ready. He's standing on the steps. Monty. You're hearing anything out there? What do you hear? Yeah. I mean, yeah, this is which looks like Jorge Santos is done is 88. 89 Republicans are voting to expel him. The magic number was 77. So unless something dramatically changes t

his will be historic. An unprecedented vote where George Santos will be the first member ever to be expelled, who has not yet not been convicted of a crime, did not participate as the Confederate in the Civil War. But these allegations apparently to be so damning that members said that it is enough, it is time to kick him out of the chamber. I just talked to one of them Carlos Jimenez of Florida. He said that I asked him what the president is he concerned by saying? The president said, well, the

president shouldn't be lying and stealing from your donors. That should be enough to get you out of Congress. Apparently, that's how a lot of Republicans felt here. 89 Republicans right now. There was 90 Republicans. There are still 48 people who have not voted yet. They need to get that magic number of 290 if all members are present and voting. And we'll see ultimately if they can get there. But at the moment, he is on his way out of Congress, which would set up a special election in a seat th

at Democrats could pick up. It could make Johnson's job even harder to advance his agenda because they just got to 91 90 divided house so so just hit to 90 290 votes. George Santos is poised to be expelled from Congress with support of Republicans and Democrats in this historic vote, unexpected, as we were suggesting, because of Mike Johnson's opposition but the decision by the Speaker to say vote your conscience and not twist arms, not whip members of mine, obviously many members said enough is

enough. It's time for George Santos to go. Republicans 101 so far have voted to kick George Santos out. 305 total votes you needed to 90 in order to expel him. This could be a historic moment. Let us go to Melanie's and Donna right now to give us the very, very latest and what she is hearing where she is. Where are you, Melanie? Yeah, I'm right outside the House chamber right now. And looking at these vote totals, you see Republicans are pretty evenly split here. 100 and 102 Republicans now vot

ing to expel Jorge Santos. That is a very big number. That was far more than what was actually needed in order to expel Jorge Santos. Now, they haven't brought down the gavel yet, so it's not final. Nothing's final till it's final around here. But it certainly looks like Jorge Santos is on track to become just the sixth member ever expelled and bringing an end to his very brief congressional career that was filled with drama, scandals and lies. Now, in terms of what happens next year, I mean, th

is is going to be treated like a vacancy so the clerk will assume control of his office, will make decisions on behalf of his office. Jorge Santos, for his part, said that he will go home and he will pack up his office and head back to New York tomorrow. And that he will go sort of quietly into the night. And then at some point, the new the governor of New York is going to have to call a special election in the next ten days. That would set up a special election sometime in the next 70 to 80 day

s from now. It's going to be a tough race because this is a Biden seat. It's a blue district. This is something that Democrats have a very strong chance at flipping. And in in the short term, it's going to narrowly only hang on for a second. We want to get to Marty Roger, who's got someone with the money that was there, George Santos coming down the stairs. There was ousted capital. Now you hear Marty trying to get to him in the Senate. He gets him. It looks like he isn't saying anything to anyo

ne. He has been talking a heck of a lot before this vote. But now you see this vote. 310 they are threshold was to 90 to kick him out. We are waiting to see if he says anything there. Let's listen in. Nope. Jumped in the car. Close the door. Windows. Hello. Any comment, Mr. Santos? Any comment? And you call. Let's go to the House floor, guys. He just gaveled the speaker's gavel and go to the House floor. And Speaker Johnson is in the chair, which is quite significant. Let's stand by and see what

he's about to say. I just saw him drop the gavel There we go. On this vote, the yeas are 311. The nays are 114 with two recorded as present Two thirds voting in the affirmative. The resolution is adopted and a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. The clerk will notify the governor of the state of New York of the action of the House. That means George Santos, under clause five of Rule 20, the chair announces to the House that in light of the expulsion of the gentleman from New York, Mr.

Santos, breaking news and the decision from the House of Representatives on this historic vote. Jorge Santos has been voted expelled from the House of Representatives by a two thirds majority of the House. The final tally? 311 fellow House members voting to oust him. The threshold was to 90 and they far passed that. David Chalian standing by the sixth member of Congress in history to be expelled from the House of Representatives. David who just walked by himself out the chamber before the speake

r actually gaveled the vote to its conclusion and got into that car and drove away. No longer a member of Congress as he was. Just just moments ago you heard the speaker instruct the clerk to notify the governor of New York of the vacancy in this seat and this is now the first time, as you guys have said, where you're not dealing with a traitor from the Confederacy or dealing with a convicted criminal. This is the first time that somebody has been expelled from Congress that doesn't fit into one

of those categories, which is that notion of precedent that George Santos and was raising and some Republicans were raising as an area of concern that this was setting a precedent. But this is this is quite astonishing when you think a year ago, when it was first reported by The New York Times and others how much he had lied to the public about who he was, what he was, what he was claiming to be a total and complete fraud. And then, as you noted, that that ethics report that showed that he was

using campaign contributions to fund his personal life. Now, he's obviously pleaded not guilty to the federal charges that are against him. He claims his innocence, and that'll be adjudicated in a court of law. But his fellow representatives in Congress said he's no more befitting to serve in the people's House. And now there is going to be a real political fallout both in how the House is governed with an even narrower Republican majority now and in the battle for control of the House, because

this is a critical district that helped give for Republicans the majority in the last cycle and now is going to be really up for grabs, both in a special election and then next November.