Politics Mitt Romney Confronts 'Sick Puppy' George Santos at State of the Union: 'You Don't Belong Here' Sen. Mitt Romney confronted fellow Republican Rep. George Santos on the House floor Tuesday night, as Santos is the subject of several investigations over his alleged lies and ethics violations By Rebecca Aizin Rebecca Aizin Rebecca Aizin is an Editorial Intern at PEOPLE. She assists on all verticals but has particular interest in entertainment and lifestyle. Previously, she has worked at HGTV Magazine where she assisted in compiling the print issues and at Backstage. She attends Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 8, 2023 10:54 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Utah Sen. Mitt Romney had some harsh words for New York Rep. George Santos before Tuesday night's State of the Union address. According to CNN, a member witnessed Romney, 75, telling fellow Republican Santos, 34, "You don't belong here," as the representative passed by him in the House of Representatives chamber prior to President Joe Biden's speech. Romney later criticized Santos for taking a front aisle seat and "trying to shake hands" with Biden, 80, which Romney considered inappropriate "given the fact that he's under ethics investigation," he told reporters. "He should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet instead of parading in front of the president and people coming into the room," he said. Everything You Missed During Biden's State of the Union Address — Plus All the Best Reactions MSNBC/YouTube The senator also called Santos "a sick puppy" for his lies, according to USA Today. He told CNN he didn't hear if Santos responded at the time. Santos, however, did seemingly make a more public response, tweeting "Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!" after the event. Santos has come under fire as he has admitted to lying on his resumé, biography and about his finances. He confessed he did not attend New York University or Baruch College, and never worked at Citigroup or Goldman Sachs, as he previously stated. George Santos. Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Further lies included that he was Jewish (to which he later said he meant "Jew-ish") and that his mother was in the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, though it was later discovered she wasn't even in the country at the time. Fact-Checking the George Santos Claims: From Goldman Sachs Employee to College 'Volleyball Star' George Santos. Sipa via AP Images George Santos Accused of Touching Prospective Staffer's Groin — Then Denying Him a Job After Getting Rejected Santos is currently being investigated at the federal and local level, and by the House Ethics Committee. Fellow New York Republicans have joined the chorus of people calling for him to step down. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, however, has yet to ask the freshman congressman to resign — a move that has been criticized by his colleagues. Romney has previously expressed his disappointment in McCarthy's lack of action. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. "He shouldn't be in Congress, and they're going to go through the process and hopefully get him out," Romney said to reporters. "But he shouldn't be there and if he had any shame at all, he wouldn't be there."