US President Donald Trump commuted George Santos’s seven-year sentence for fraud and identity theft, ordering the former Republican congressman’s immediate release. In a social media post, Trump said Santos had been “horribly mistreated” and contrasted his case with Senator Richard Blumenthal’s past misstatements about military service. Santos, one of only six lawmakers ever expelled from Congress after a 2023 ethics report, has been held at a minimum‑security jail in New Jersey. His lawyer said the timing of his release remains unclear. Earlier this week, Santos publicly pleaded with Trump for clemency.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.