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Drag queen and RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars winner Trixie Mattel called out New York Republican Representative George Santos after he complained about "terrible" impressions from actors who've impersonated him on television.
Indeed, quite a few comedians, including Saturday Night Live alumnus Jon Lovitz, have taken on the role of Santos on different programs since he admitted to "embellishing" his résumé following a New York Times investigation into lies he told about his life.
Instead of focusing on investigations into his possible financial crimes, Santos complained he's "now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations," calling them “all TERRIBLE.”
He added:
“Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing— for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up.”
You can see Santos' tweet below.
\u201cI have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing\u2014 for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up.\u201d— George Santos (@George Santos) 1674517021
Santos' tweet soon caught the attention of Trixie Mattell—who appeared on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and won the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars before starring in DIY/reality/talk show Trixie Motel.
If all of these impersonations were indeed as "TERRIBLE" as Santos says, Mattel suggested, it might be because "the source material was weak."
\u201c@Santos4Congress maybe the source material was weak.\u201d— George Santos (@George Santos) 1674517021
Santos responded a short time later to knock Mattel's "acting skills" during her time on Drag Race.
\u201c@trixiemattel Clearly you know all about weak acting skills @trixiemattel \u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— George Santos (@George Santos) 1674517021
“I am not an actor! I was young and I had fun at a festival!” Mattel replied, a reference to Santos’ response to a report in which former acquaintances said he was a drag queen performing under the name "Kitara Ravache" while living in Brazil.
\u201c@Santos4Congress I am not an actor! I was young and I had fun at a festival!\u201d— George Santos (@George Santos) 1674517021
Many appreciated Mattel's comeback.
\u201cThis feud is my favorite thing to have happened in 2023 so far\u201d— e (@e) 1674554890
\u201cThis is gold\u201d— Georgia \ud83d\udc96 (@Georgia \ud83d\udc96) 1674540054
\u201cthe read, the shade, the fierceness\u201d— eris \ud83e\udde3\u2653 (Taylor's Version) (@eris \ud83e\udde3\u2653 (Taylor's Version)) 1674574859
\u201cDrag him! Drag him to hell!\u201d— JWarr (@JWarr) 1674578357
\u201c@trixiemattel you are the QUEEN. Also, he knows A LOT about drag race\u2026.\u201d— \ud835\udd7e\ud835\udd9a\ud835\udd93\ud835\udd98\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd93\ud835\udd8a (@\ud835\udd7e\ud835\udd9a\ud835\udd93\ud835\udd98\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd93\ud835\udd8a) 1674573541
\u201cI cannot believe I get this kind of entertainment for free. Brava madame!\u201d— Anna (@Anna) 1674535818
Although Santos tried to distance himself from the story of his drag performer past, video footage and photos show he did at one point have aspirations about pursuing a drag career.
The story is particularly striking because Santos is aligned with homophobes and transphobes who have targeted drag performers for violence—an extension of the "groomer" rhetoric that has gripped the right-wing as of late.