‘Special Forces’ Instructor Compares George Santos to Tom Sandoval

Jovon “Q” Quarles, a member of the directing staff on Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” has drawn a comparison between disgraced former Congressman George Santos and reality television personality Tom Sandoval. Quarles, a former Navy SEAL, stated in an interview with Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” that both Santos and Sandoval exhibit a similar pattern of not holding themselves accountable for their actions.

“He reminds me of Tom Sandoval, where, ‘Nothing I’ve done was wrong. Nothing I did was wrong,’ and then [they] point the finger at the other person and say that what [that person] did was wrong,” Quarles explained. “They don’t hold themselves accountable.”

Sandoval, known for his role in Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” competed on the second season of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” shortly after his affair with co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss became public, leading to the end of his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix. Quarles, who has been part of the show’s directing staff since its second season, oversees the demanding physical and psychological challenges presented to celebrity contestants.

Quarles acknowledged being aware of Santos’ criminal history, which included convictions for federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was initially sentenced to over seven years in prison for offenses including embezzling campaign funds for personal expenses and fabricating details about his background. However, his sentence was later commuted by President Donald Trump, leading to his release after three months.

Quarles, who served 15 years in the Navy SEALs, indicated that he took Santos' history of alleged deception personally. He emphasized that politicians are expected to be truthful and support military personnel, especially given the risks service members undertake.

“We’re supposed to trust you?” Quarles questioned. “And then you send us out here to go to war to die for stuff that you are lying about for the most part.” He added, “I took it personally, so I really wanted to challenge him and really give him a taste of what it’s like to understand that, ‘Hey, you now don’t have any control.’”

Despite his serious approach to Santos’ participation, Quarles admitted to finding humor in some of Santos' early challenges on the show. He described Santos’ attempts to pull himself out of the water and onto a dock in the season premiere as reminiscent of a "dead sea lion rolling over and fall[ing] back [into] the water."

“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox, with new episodes available for streaming the following day on Hulu.