Let’s rewind: 5 eyebrow-raising moments in politics in 2023

The antics of lawmakers and presidential candidates in the American political sphere led to plenty of humorous headlines in 2023 that sparked laughter, intrigue and more than a few “yikes.”

Rep. George Santos and former President Donald Trump took advantage of their instant, meme-worthy fame while Rep. Jamaal Bowman got reprimanded in Congress after getting caught pulling a high-school-level prank.

Here’s a look at five eyebrow-raising moments in politics this year.

Who is the imposter?

Santos, a Republican who formerly represented a New York House district, and his alleged fabrications about his marital status, his work experience (like claiming to have been on “Hannah Montana”), and his family background began unraveling last year. In January, his colleagues filed ethics complaints. Then, before the State of the Union address in February, Sen. Mitt Romney and Santos had a heated exchange.

“Given the fact that (Santos) is under ethics investigation, he should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet,” Romney told reporters. In response to the Utah senator’s remarks, Santos compared himself to Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist.

“Mitt Romney tells me, a Latino gay man, that I shouldn’t sit in the front, that I should be in the back. Well, guess what? Rosa Parks didn’t sit in the back and neither I am going to sit in the back,” Santos said in an interview. These statements earned him a backlash. After the release of the ethics report, House Republicans voted to expel Santos. He then launched a career in the perhaps more fitting entertainment industry, putting an end to his chapter on Capitol Hill.

Monetizing a mugshot

Trump was booked at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 24, as a part of the fourth indictment dealing with racketeering and conspiracy charges. That same day he became the first former president to have his mugshot taken. The photo instantly went viral.

“It is not a comfortable feeling — especially when you’ve done nothing wrong,” Trump told Fox News afterward.

Although the Biden administration generally avoids commenting on Trump’s legal troubles, President Joe Biden said, “Handsome guy, wonderful guy,” in response to questions about the mugshot. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, was quick to splash the booking photo on T-shirts and raised $7.1 million in a span of a few days. In December, his campaign moved on to sell NFTs.

A rude interruption

Bowman, a Democratic representative from New York, was caught on camera setting off a fire alarm at the Capitol an hour before the House passed a continuing resolution to keep government agencies funded through mid-October.

At the time, Bowman, a former high school principal, denied pulling the alarm on purpose, saying, “I was just trying to get to my vote. The door thatʼs usually open wasn’t open. I didnʼt mean to cause confusion. I didnʼt know it was going to trip the whole building. I thought (the alarm) would help me open the door.”

But his defense failed to explain why he ignored multiple warning signs placed on the doors. Rep. Burgess Owens, who represents Utah’s 4th District, told the Deseret News Bowman “pulled that lever on purpose to slow down” votes.

Treasury secretary accidentally eats ‘magic mushrooms’

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to China in August was per usual, as she attended meetings with leaders to strengthen relations between the two countries. But she said one dinner, where she accidentally ate magic mushrooms, stood out.

“I went with this large group of people, and the person who had arranged our dinner did the ordering. There was a delicious mushroom dish. I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties. I learned that later,” Yellen told CNN of her four-day July trip to China.

She said that no one at the dinner party was affected by the mushrooms.

“I read that if the mushrooms are cooked properly, which I’m sure they were at this very good restaurant, that they have no impact,” she said. “But all of us enjoyed the mushrooms, the restaurant, and none of us felt any ill effects from having eaten them.”

Confusing words

Biden spoke at a gun control summit in July. But his concluding remarks left many puzzled. He called for banning AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, before saying, “God, bless you all,” “God, protect our troops” and “God save the Queen, man.”

As People reported, attendees wondered if he meant “God save the King” since Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 last September. The clip of him referencing the British phrase instantly went viral as social media users criticized him for his gaffe.

White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton later told reporters the president “was commenting to someone in the crowd.”