At Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address, a tense exchange between Mitt Romney and George Santos, a Republican from California, was witnessed by members of Congress and the public.

Romney, a former Presidential candidate, was heard telling Santos “You don’t belong here” and referring to him as a “sick puppy” who “shouldn’t have been there.”

The exchange was prompted after Santos took a seat in the aisle of the House Chamber ahead of the address. Other Republican lawmakers were reportedly not eager to shake Santos’ hand.

Romney’s comments have been widely condemned by those on both sides of the aisle. In a statement, Romney said “My comments were inappropriate. I shouldn’t have said them, and I apologize.”

The incident has highlighted the deep divisions among Republicans in the House and Senate. Some have called for a more unified approach to tackle the issues facing the nation.

Meanwhile, many have used the incident to criticize the current state of politics in America. The Independent summed it up by saying “At the State of the Union, Republicans showed who they really are – and it wasn’t pretty.”