Tamara Keith, the Hanford native who covers the White House for NPR, has reported and written the definitive analysis of why “post-shame” politicians such as George Santos and Donald Trump retain their power.
She points out that pressure from conservative Republican senators forced President Richard Nixon to resign in the Watergate era, but concludes that you wouldn’t see a similar scenario today.
“(T)he United States is now in an era of post-shame politics. For a politician willing to put up with embarrassment, condemnation, a raft of jokes from late-night comedians, and a swarm of reporters chasing them day after day, surviving scandals is easier than it used to be,” Keith writes.
Related Story: Rep. George Santos Refuses to Resign Despite Political Pressure
About Santos, the freshman congressman from New York, Keith says: “Santos has lied about, among other things, being Jewish, his mom dying on 9/11, and having employees killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. But Republicans — who have only a narrow majority in the House — have shown no real desire to force him out.”
Read more at this NPR link.
