Around this time last year, when I was writing the Golden Dukes 2022 introduction post to open up TPM’s troll awards season, I didn’t even know what a George Santos was. At the time, the now-expelled, self-described “Mary Magdalene of the United States Congress” had just
Back then we were discussing since-out-scandalized creatures like Ron DeSantis, who kidnapped migrants for a campaign stunt, or Blake Masters, who put out an ad where he made clear he was ready to hunt humans as game, or Dr. Oz’s crudité situation. It wasn’t really a simpler time, but, looking back, it was a less entertaining one.
Clarence Thomas– PJs, Fishing Trips, and His Mothers Home
The Mar-a-Lago documents case is the Trump scandal par excellence. It combines pettiness, lying, obstruction, grift, narcissism, stall tactics, rampant illegalities, and absurd risks to national security. It is the single most dire threat of criminal prosecution, and they pretty much have him dead to rights. But what makes it Golden Duke-worthy is the sheer ridiculousness of the entire scheme and its ability to consume the dignity of anyone who was involved. Could the 2021-you have imagined that in year two of his ex-presidency, Trump would be arguing in federal appeals court to get his photo of Celine Dion back? I didn’t think so. But that actually happened.
— Nominated by: TPM Reader
“New York City is the Istanbul of America!”
Eric Adams
won his election and we were weeks away from the deluge of revelations about his life, including his embellished résumé — and, soon, much worse.