WASHINGTON — Republican Senator Mitt Romney told Rep George Santos that he had no place in Congress in a heated exchange ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

The encounter took place ahead of President Joe Biden’s speech, as Santos shook hands with people near Romney’s seat.

Romney later told reporters that he believed Santos “should be sitting in the back row”.

Santos has admitted to fabricating large parts of his CV and biography.

He has faced calls to resign from his New York constituents and a number of senior Republican colleagues in Congress.

Before President Biden’s address, Romney saw Santos and said “you ought to be embarrassed”. Santos then shot back, and called Romney an “asshole”.

After the annual address, Romney told reporters that Santos “shouldn’t be in Congress”.

“I didn’t expect him to be standing there trying to shake hands with every senator and the president of the United States,” Romney said.

“Given the fact that he’s under ethics investigation, he should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet instead of parading in front of the president and the people coming into the room,” he said.

Romney added that if Santos “had any shame at all, he wouldn’t be there.”

After the speech, Santos responded to Romney — who was the Republican nominee for president in 2012 — in a tweet, saying “just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!” as he endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.

Santos, who was elected in the November midterm election, has been accused of lying about his education, his assets and his background. In an interview with the New York Post, Santos admitted to “embellishing” his CV.

But Romney hit out against the congressman’s apology, telling reporters that “embellishing is saying you got an A when you got an A-minus. Lying is saying you graduated from a college you didn’t even attend”.

Other allegations have emerged against Santos, including fraud charges in Brazil, where he is accused of stealing $700 in checks under a fake name. A former aide has also accused him of sexual misconduct.

Santos is also facing multiple investigations over his campaign spending and financial reports. He has previously denied wrongdoing. — BBC