Have a great life!' Trump orders prison release of disgraced ex-lawmaker Santos

President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of George Santos, a former Republican congressman serving seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft. In a post on social media, Trump said Santos "has been horribly mistreated," adding: "Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!"

The move comes after the former lawmaker was sentenced in 2023 for lying about his background and misusing campaign funds to finance his lifestyle. Prosecutors argued that Santos lied about his university degree, work experience, and even claimed to have survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Trump justified the move by criticizing a Democratic lawmaker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he accused of fabricating his US military service. Trump has previously called for an investigation into Blumenthal over the claim, which Blumenthal acknowledged was made 15 years ago and had been widely rejected by voters in Connecticut.

Santos's downfall began in 2022, after an investigation revealed that he had lied about his CV, including having a university degree and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. The lies continued to pile up, including allegations that he stole money from a fundraiser for a dying dog and lied about his mother surviving the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Santos was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes and became the first expelled member of Congress in over 20 years. He had previously published an open letter to Trump, repeating his plea to be pardoned and apologizing for his actions.

Commutations do not void criminal convictions, unlike a pardon. The move has raised eyebrows among critics, who say that Santos's crimes were severe enough to warrant more significant punishment.

im all about the commute so trump does this thing on george santos and suddenly he gets outta prison... what even is the point of that? like, santos got caught red handed for fake university degrees, lied about his job experience, and stole money from a fundraiser for a dying dog... yikes!

and now trumps just commutes him without any consequences or anything? it's not like he was doing it for politics, apparently he just thinks george "has been horribly mistreated"... umm what about all the other people who actually did get treated horribly in prison?

i mean, i'm no fan of democrats either but come on, senator blumenthal's claim about trumps military service was debunked 15 years ago... maybe if we spent more time figuring out what really happened instead of just jumping to conclusions, we wouldn't have people like santos getting a free pass?

7 yrs in prison for 23 felony crimes & now he's free ? I mean, sure Santos did lie about his background & misuse funds but 7 years is a pretty standard sentence for such crimes... or at least that's what the stats say . According to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the average sentence for a 23-count felony conviction is around 10-12 yrs in prison .

Also, Trump's pardon commutation isn't exactly unprecedented either . There have been over 1,300 federal pardons handed out by Trump since he took office (stats from 2020-2025). But this one has sparked some controversy with many critics saying it sets a bad precedent for future politicians getting off scot-free .

It's also worth noting that Santos is still required to serve the original sentence & will have to apply for a full pardon later . And let's not forget that Trump's defense of Blumenthal over his military service has raised some eyebrows... I mean, it's not exactly a perfect example of presidential integrity .

Anyway, stats say Santos is still at 77% of his original sentence served . Not sure what the future holds for him now

I'm kinda surprised by this move. Like, I get it, Trump wants to stick up for his buddy George, but come on, 7 years in prison isn't too harsh considering all the lies he told. It just seems like a weird move to me. And now everyone's talking about how Santos got off easy and some people are saying it's because of Trump's influence... I don't know if that's true or not, but it's definitely making headlines.

omg what a joke , the guy got away with literally stealing from people and lying about who he was... and trump just gives him a free pass because blumenthal made a mistake? lol no kidding 15 years ago, Santos's crimes are not 'mistreated', they're just plain wrong . and what's next, pardoning joe biden for his entire career? this whole thing is just a big ol' mess

I'm kinda stoked about this whole thing - I mean, Trump just commuted George Santos' sentence and now he's free to live his best life! But at the same time, I think it's super messed up that Santos got away with such serious stuff, like identity theft and lying about his past . I mean, come on, 23 federal felony crimes? That's some heavy stuff! And can we please not forget that Santos was a lawmaker, so he had a responsibility to be honest and trustworthy... or at least try to be .

And what's with Trump just doing this out of the blue? Without even getting into some kind of negotiation or deal-making? It feels like he's trying to one-up some other politician (coughs, Senator Blumenthal ). But seriously, I don't think this move is going to sit well with everyone... and rightfully so!

omg, this is wild ... think trump just commuted a 7yr sentence for someone who basically lied their way into being congressman and stole money from charity . i get it, blumenthal's military service claim was questionable too, but c'mon trump... don't try to spin this as some kinda "justice" thing . and what's with the logic that since he said someone else fabricated info, his own lies aren't a big deal? doesn't work that way, dude . anyway, glad george santos gets to go free, but i hope this sets a bad precedent for future politicians who might try to pull the same stunt .

I'm shocked by Trump's decision to commute George Santos' sentence . While it's true that Santos did commit egregious acts of identity theft and fraud, commutation seems like an overly lenient measure considering the severity of his crimes . The fact that he lied about his educational background, work experience, and even claimed to have survived 9/11 is unacceptable. The move also raises questions about Trump's own credibility on issues related to military service . Santos' case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked ambition and a lack of accountability .

idk about this decision... seems like trump is just trying to make himself look good again . santos got caught red handed and now trump is just commuting his sentence? it doesn't feel right. and what about all the other people who have lied or cheated their way into power? shouldn't they get the same treatment? anyway, i'm not gonna sit here and criticize trump's decision, but it does make me wonder if he's trying to send a message that lying is just a part of the game now .

I'm so worried about this ... Trump just commuted George Santos' sentence like it's no big deal . I mean, the guy was found guilty of serious stuff - identity theft and lying about his entire background! It's crazy that he only got 7 years in prison to begin with . And now, by commuting his sentence, Trump is essentially saying that Santos' actions were "horribly mistreated" ... which doesn't exactly convey the severity of what happened. I get that Trump wants to defend Blumenthal and all, but does this move help repair America's trust in government at all? I don't think so...

omg u guys this is crazy Trump just commuted George Santos sentence and its like whoa... Santos was literally caught red handed for all these lies about his past lol what a career move by Trump tbh I'm kinda worried that this sets a bad precedent but at the same time Santos did get caught for some major crimes so i guess its all about perspective

Ugh, I don't get why people are making such a big deal about this . Trump just commuted Santos' sentence and now everyone's losing their minds . It's like, come on guys, it's just a commutation, not the end of the world . People need to chill out and realize that Santos got caught and served time for his own mistakes, he shouldn't be getting special treatment just because Trump is his buddy .

I mean, Santos was definitely in the wrong for all those lies he told . But do we really need to bring up Blumenthal's service record? That's not even related to Santos' crimes . And let's be real, if anyone gets "horribly mistreated", it's Trump who got impeached and all that drama . This whole thing just seems like a big mess to me

I don’t usually comment but... I think it’s pretty concerning when someone in power uses their influence to get someone out of trouble for serious crimes. I mean, George Santos is a former congressman, not some random guy who just messed up – he lied about his whole life and hurt people, including donating money meant for a dying dog to himself.

Commuting his sentence doesn’t even feel like a full pardon, you know? It’s like Trump is saying, “Hey, I know you did bad stuff, but I won’t make it that hard on you... yet.” And now, all Santos has to do is apologize and move on with his life? That doesn't seem like justice to me .

so I'm reading this news about George Santos getting his sentence commuted by Trump and I gotta say... it just feels like another example of how the old guard thinks they're above the law . I mean, come on, seven years in prison for some pretty serious stuff? It's not like he was convicted of a minor white-collar crime or something.

And what really gets me is that Trump is trying to spin this as some kind of hero move, like Santos has been "horribly mistreated" . Give me a break. This guy lied about his entire background and stole from people, including a fundraiser for a dying dog! He's lucky he didn't get more than a slap on the wrist.

And what's really sad is that this sets a bad precedent. If Trump can just commute someone's sentence like that without any real consequences, then what's to stop other powerful people from doing the same? It's just another example of how the system can be manipulated and abused when you've got too much power and influence.

Anyway, I'm just gonna shake my head and move on... but it's always good for a rant

OMG, can't believe what just went down ! Trump's decision to commute George Santos's sentence is totally sketchy . I mean, 7 years in prison isn't harsh enough for someone who lied about everything and stole from people . And now he gets to walk free? Not cool, man . I think it's a huge precedent that sets a bad example for others who might follow in his footsteps . Santos needs to own up to his mistakes and take responsibility for his actions . The fact that Trump is trying to spin this by criticizing Blumenthal is just desperate . It's like, if you're gonna pardon someone, at least have the decency to admit it was a mistake . This whole thing is just a big mess ! #JusticeNotCommutations #AccountabilityMatters #TrumpActions

omg did u hear about george santos? like, i'm still trying to process it ... so trump just commuted his sentence and released him from prison?!?! i dont get it... like, santos committed some serious crimes... i mean, who lies about their whole life story?!?! ... but at the same time, its not like trump is exactly known for being super fair... maybe hes just trying to distract us from something else? ... and whats up with sen blumenthal tho?!?! why is trump going after him over this 15 year old claim? ... anywayz... i guess this just goes to show that in politics, sometimes u just have to take things at face value and not question too much .

I gotta say, this is some wild stuff . Trump just commutes George Santos's sentence and nobody's talking about the real issue here... Santos got caught majorly lying and swindling people out of their cash . He even claimed to have survived 9/11? That's just out there . And now he gets to walk free after serving only a fraction of his original sentence? It's like, what's next?

And Trump does this move because of some beef with Senator Blumenthal? Come on, man! That's not exactly a strong argument for commuting Santos's sentence. I get it, we shouldn't be so quick to punish people, but Santos went all out to deceive the public and he's not sorry about it .

I think this whole thing is just a reminder that Trump is still trying to exert control over the system and manipulate public opinion . Commutations don't void convictions, guys! They're like a get-out-of-jail-free card, but only for people with the right connections . It's all about who you know and when...

man this is crazy what's next gonna let all the con artists out like seriously trump thinks he can just save santos from prison because blumenthal did something 15 years ago come on and btw whats with the whole 9/11 thing anyway didnt santo just make stuff up to make himself sound more impressive lol

I'm kinda surprised about this news ... I mean, George Santos was super shady and lied about his whole life, but still 7 years in prison seems like a pretty harsh sentence to me . And Trump is just being Trump, you know? He's always trying to stir up drama and make headlines . But for real though, can we talk about how messed up it is that Santos got away with some pretty serious stuff? Like, he lied about his degree, work experience, and even claimed to have survived 9/11 ... that's some crazy stuff right there . And now he gets a "commutation" from Trump and suddenly he's free to roam again ? I don't get it...

I was just thinking about this crazy new trend where plants can go viral on TikTok . Like, have you seen those plant mom accounts? They're so extra! And the music they use is always on point! Anyway, back to politics... I mean, if Trump's gonna commute Santos' sentence, shouldn't he at least make a public service announcement about not lying on your resume? Just saying.