Rep. George Santos compares himself to Rosa ParksĀ
āItās a slap in the face to Black people,ā said Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist.
U.S. Rep. George Santos is getting slammed for comparing himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Over the weekend, Santos, R-N.Y., spoke with conservative talk show host Mike Crispi during a podcast episode and compared a conversation he had with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to the racism that Parks encountered as a Black passenger in the 1950s when she was told to surrender her seat and move to the back of the bus.
āMitt Romneyā¦tells me a Latino gay man that I shouldnāt sit in the front that I should be in the back,ā said the congressman.
āWell guess what? Rosa Parks didnāt sit in the back and neither am I going to sit in the back. Thatās just the reality of how it works. Mitt Romney lives in a different world and he needs to buckle up because itās going to be a bumpy ride for him,ā he continued.
Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross told theGrio that Santosā remarks were āInsulting, especially coming off of last weekās ending of affirmative actionā¦itās a slap in the face to Black people.ā
āRosa Parks was actually attacked and by law it was justified at the time because of the Jim Crow laws. Parks’ refusal to sit in the back of the bus surged the entire civil rights movement,ā she said.
āFor Santos to use that in such a disrespectful way just because he doesnāt want to face the music for the crimes he committed, I think itās grotesque and it also goes to show where our nation is,ā she continued.
The exchange between Romney and Santos took place ahead of President Joe Bidenās State of the Union address in February. Due to a pending ethics complaint against Santos, Romney reportedly told Santos that he needed to sit in the back and remain quiet during the presidentās speech.
Cross told theGrio that Santosā remarks āshow how far the Republican Party has extended to bastardizing our civil rights leaders.ā
She stated that Republicans tend to often misquote civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to rewrite history.
āThere hasnāt been a Republican leader who has not misdirected Martin Luther Kingās quote from his āI Have a Dreamā speech ā¦ not by the color of your skin, but the content of your character,ā she said.
āThey used it in the fight against affirmative action. Theyāve used it in the fight against voting rights. Theyāve used it in the fight to upend every redress to racial disparities in this country,ā she continued.
In May, the Department of Justice unsealed a 13-count indictment charging Santos with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and false statements. He faces up to 20 years behind bars if found guilty.
While Democrats have been vocal in urging Santosā ouster from Congress, many members of the GOP have been slow to condemn Santos.
Cross said she does not believe his latest comments are āgoing to be the straw that breaks the camelās back for Republicans when it comes to removing him from office.ā
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