Ziwe Asks George Santos If He Likes Orange — and Whether He Can Define 'Empathy' — in Unhinged Interview

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Ziwe/YouTube

Ziwe/YouTube

Ziwe’s highly anticipated sit-down interview with former CongressmanGeorge Santoswas released on Monday, providing viewers with 18 entertaining minutes of unfiltered questions, roundabout answers and awkward stares.

While the comedian is known for her confrontational, no-holds-barred interviews with “iconic guests,” it became clear throughout her conversation with Santos that one topic was (mostly) off-limits: the federal criminal case against him, which contributed to hisrecent expulsion from the House of Representatives.

“What excites you most about going to prison?” Ziwe asked him at one point in their chat. “That’s a below the belt,” the Republican politician said, implying that they had agreed not to go there. Unfazed, Ziwe continued, “Do you like the color orange?”

At other points in the interview, Ziwe referenced Santos' allegations in sillier ways, like making him say the word “icon” on repeat, then responding: “You con!” At the end of the interview, she pulled out a Hermès Birkin bag full of cash and made him hold it (days before his expulsion, the House Ethics Committee accused Santos of stealing campaign donors' funds and, in one instance, using them to make a purchase at Hermès); he laughed and played along with her prop, saying, “Just be nice.”

Of course, allegations against Santos were bound to come up in some form. Ziwe approached the congressman about sitting for an interviewon Xin the days immediately following his historic ousting, when Santos himself was making light of the fraud allegations that turned members of his own party against him.

In their full conversation, now on YouTube, Ziwe grills Santos about LGBTQ icons,Drag Race, cosmetic procedures and his ideal child. She also asks him to define “empathy,” which he says he cannot.

On his now-popularCameo page, he describes himself as a “Former congressional ‘Icon’! 💅🏼” and “The Expelled member of Congress from New York City.” There, for a hefty price, users can order a custom video in which Santos offers a birthday or holiday greeting, with other options for him to spread gossip or roast the beneficiary.

source: people.com