Former Republican congressman George Santos suggested that former President Donald Trump's frequent falsehoods could be interpreted not as lies, but as a "strategic, like, disruption of the matrix." Santos made these remarks during an appearance on Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast.
Maher initially observed that Trump has "told more lies than all the presidents combined." Santos, who himself was elected to Congress in 2022 after a campaign built on a largely fabricated personal history, pushed back on Maher's assertion. "I don't know that that's true, though," Santos stated.
Maher countered, "Well, you do know it's true. You know that even his fans say, 'We take him seriously. Not literally,'" adding that Trump "just pulls stuff out of his ass whenever he wants to."
Santos then offered his "disruption of the matrix" theory. This new framing has drawn comparisons to the term "alternative facts," which former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway coined in 2017 to describe demonstrable falsehoods. Maher, however, dismissed Santos' explanation, humorously suggesting its inapplicability in personal relationships by posing the scenario: "Honey, I'm not fucking the cocktail waitress. It's a rupture in the matrix."
Santos attempted to elaborate on his reasoning, but Maher interjected, stating, "We're redefining lying now."
The exchange occurred on Maher's podcast, "Club Random," where Santos discussed his past fabrications and experiences. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 but was later expelled in December 2023 following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee that found evidence he had engaged in fraud, abuse of authority, and seeking to monetize his public office, as well as lying to the House. He has since faced federal charges and served time in prison.