• Christopher Meloni called President Trump “clear and present danger to America” after George Santos prison release
• Santos sentenced to 87 months for wire fraud and identity theft, served less than three months before commutation
• Actor sarcastically warned fans about No Kings protesters “masquerading as law abiding, concerned, patriotic Americans”

NEW YORK (TDR) — Law & Order: Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni unleashed a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump following his decision to commute the sentence of disgraced former Rep. George Santos, calling the president a “clear and present danger to America.”

The actor, best known for his role as Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, took to X on Friday to criticize Trump’s clemency decision that freed Santos less than three months into his seven-year prison sentence.

Santos released after fraud conviction

Trump announced the commutation on Truth Social Friday, writing: “I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

Santos was sentenced in April to 87 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The former New York Republican representative had been serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, N.J., since July.

According to the Department of Justice, Santos and his campaign treasurer doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican Party funding, including falsely reporting a $500,000 loan when he had under $8,000 in his accounts. He made unauthorized charges on stolen donor credit card information, including from elderly victims suffering from cognitive impairment, and used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars he spent on designer clothing.

Meloni fires back at critics

Responding to Trump’s announcement, Meloni posted: “POTUS is a clear and present danger to America.”

When one user challenged his assessment, questioning whether the danger stemmed from border policies or manufacturing investments, Meloni didn’t back down.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

“No it’s the enjoyment of cruelty, breaking of norms, the normalizing of open grifting, the lies, incompetence, malignant narcissism, the attempted insurrection, authoritarianism, the sucking up to Putin,” he shot back. “So even tho a point or two of urs is kinda valid, the stuff I see outweighs it.”

The actor also shared support for the No Kings protests held Saturday across America, posting a sarcastic warning: “Hey guys be careful. These ‘anti-American, anti- capitalism Antifa’ types seem to be masquerading as law abiding, concerned, patriotic Americans using their voice to protest the grift, ineptitude, cruelty, and lawlessness of this admin. #stayalert.”

GOP lobbied for release

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans had campaigned for Santos’s release, citing his time in solitary confinement as excessive punishment for his crimes.

“George Santos never raped anybody, never murdered anybody, is not a child sex-trafficker. Why is he in solitary confinement?” Greene said. She thanked Trump on X after the commutation, writing that Santos “was unfairly treated and put in solitary confinement, which is torture!!”

According to the clemency grant, Trump granted Santos an “immediate commutation of his entire sentence to time served with no further fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or other conditions.” U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin said he was “honored” to have played “a small role” in the clemency decision.

In his Truth Social post, Trump downplayed Santos’s fabrications, calling him a “bit of a ‘rogue'” but noting “at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

Broader clemency pattern

Trump has aggressively used his clemency power during his second term. On his first day in office, he pardoned roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

He has also granted clemency to former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, former Democratic Cincinnati City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld, former Republican New York Rep. Michael Grimm and former Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Trump for focusing on Santos instead of Americans’ healthcare during the ongoing government shutdown.

Santos, who unexpectedly won his congressional seat in 2022, faced scandal when The New York Times reported that parts of his resume were fabricated. A House Ethics Committee report found “substantial evidence” he violated federal criminal laws, including using campaign funds for personal purposes. He was expelled from Congress in November 2023.

Should celebrities face backlash for publicly criticizing presidential clemency decisions, or does free speech protect political commentary?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10