Marjorie Taylor Greene: Difference between revisions

Greene's incendiary statements and promotion of conspiracy theories were condemned by Democrats. Representative [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] (D-[[Florida|FL]]) introduced a motion to remove Greene from all of her committee assignments,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=MoveToStrip>{{cite news|last1=Grayer|first1=Annie|last2=Raju|first2=Manu|last3=Foran|first3=Clare|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/01/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-committee-assignments/index.html|title=House Democrats move swiftly to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of committee assignments|work=CNN|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2021}}</ref> declaring that "Greene's appalling behavior both before her election and during her term has helped fuel domestic terrorism, endangered lives of her colleagues and brought shame on the entire House of Representatives... Based on her actions and statements and her belligerent refusal to disavow them, she should not be permitted to participate in the important work of these two influential committees."<ref name = CBS20210202>{{cite news|url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-marjorie-taylor-greene-cancer-republican-party/|work = [[CBS News]]|title = McConnell says Marjorie Taylor Greene is a "cancer for the Republican Party"|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 3, 2021}}</ref> On February 1, 2021, House Majority Leader [[Steny Hoyer]] (D-[[Maryland|MD]]) gave House Minority Leader [[Kevin McCarthy]] and other Republican House leaders an ultimatum–unless they stripped Greene of her committee seats within 72 hours, the Democrats would bring Wasserman Schultz' resolution before the full House.<ref name=MoveToStrip/><ref name=Ultimatum />

With Republican officials under mounting pressure to denounce Greene,<ref name = pressure /> [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Minority Leader]] [[Mitch McConnell]] issued a statement to ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'' in which he attacked "loony lies and conspiracy theories" as a "cancer for the Republican Party."<ref name="Hill20210201">{{cite news|last1 = Brufke|first1 = Juliegrace|last2 = Wong|first2 = Scott|url = https://thehill.com/homenews/house/536850-mcconnell-says-taylor-greene-a-cancer-to-gop-country|title = McConnell says Taylor Greene's embrace of conspiracy theories a 'cancer' to GOP, country|work = [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date = February 1, 2021|access-date = February 2, 2021}}</ref> The statement did not name Greene but reporting<ref name = CBS20210202 /><ref name = CNN20210202>{{cite news|title = McConnell: Marjorie Taylor Greene's views are a 'cancer' for the GOP|first1 = Jessica|last1 = Dean|first2 = Caroline|last2 = Kelly|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 2, 2021|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/01/politics/mcconnell-marjorie-taylor-greene-cancer-republican-party/index.html|work = [[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name = ABC20210202>{{cite news|title = US Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'loony lies' a 'cancer'|work = [[Associated Press]]|via = [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 2, 2021|url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-02/democrats-bid-to-remove-marjorie-taylor-greene-from-committees/13112588}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Marjorie Taylor Greene: Congresswoman faces expulsion threat|work = [[BBC News]]|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 2, 2021|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55897126}}</ref> described the statement as "unmistakably about"<ref>{{cite news|title = Why Did McConnell Attack Greene and Defend Cheney?|first = Ed|last = Kilgore|work = [[New York (magazine)|New York Intelligencer]]|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 3, 2021|url = https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/02/why-did-mcconnell-attack-greene-and-defend-cheney.html}}</ref> and "clearly targeted" at Greene.<ref>{{cite news|title = Mitch McConnell says congresswoman's 'loony lies' are 'a cancer' for Republicans|first=Ed|last=Pilkington|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2021|work=[[The Guardian]]|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/01/mitch-mcconnell-conspiracy-theories-cancer-marjorie-taylor-greene}}</ref> McConnell confirmed it the following day, referring to his comments on Greene and adding "I think I adequately spoke out about how I feel."<ref name = WSJ20210202>{{cite news|work = [[The Wall Street Journal]]|title = McConnell, McCarthy Take Different Approaches in Post-Trump Era|first1 = Kristina|last1 = Peterson|first2 = Lindsay|last2 = Wise|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 2, 2021|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/mcconnell-mccarthy-take-different-approaches-in-post-trump-era-11612311215}}</ref> McConnell's statement said that "Somebody who's suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.'s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party."<ref name="Hill20210201" /> Greene tweeted in response that "[t]he real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully. This is why we are losing our country."<ref name = CNN20210202 /><ref name = ABC20210202 /> Following McConnell's statement, several other Republican Senators voiced criticisms of Greene. [[Mitt Romney]] said that the Republican Party's "big tent is not large enough to both accommodate conservatives and kooks."<ref name = CNN20210202-NoDecision /> [[Kevin Cramer]] said that he would have "a hard time supporting ... [Greene] being on the Education Committee" in the light of "her positions on the school shootings being staged"; he added that "Real authority has moral authority."<ref name = CNN20210202-NoDecision /> Both Florida Senators condemned the idea that the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting might have not have been real, with [[Marco Rubio]] stating that anyone arguing it was a [[false flag]] is "either deranged or a sadist."<ref name = CNN20210202-NoDecision /> Greene responded that it is "[t]oo bad a few Republican Senators are obsessing over me, instead of preparing to defend President Trump from the rabid radical left. Focus on ending the witch hunt. Do your job!"<ref name = WSJ20210202 /><ref name = CNN20210202-NoDecision /> Greene also used the criticism to set a new fundraising goal, saying that she needed to defend her seat.<ref name = WSJ20210202 />

McCarthy met with Greene on February 2 and then held meetings with the [[Steering and Policy Committees of the United States House of Representatives|House GOP Steering Committee]],<ref>{{cite news|title = McCarthy meets with Rep. Greene; GOP faces Cheney decision|first1 = Alan|last1 = Fram|first2 = Steve|last2 = Peoples|first3 = Brian|last3 = Slodysko|work = [[ABC News]]|url = https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/mcconnell-praises-cheney-hits-marjorie-taylor-greene-75634597|date = February 3, 2021|access-date = February 3, 2021}}</ref> which is responsible for committee assignments for Republican members of the House. No decision was made that day<ref name = CNN20210202-NoDecision>{{cite news|title = GOP senators distance themselves from Marjorie Taylor Greene but no decision yet on removing her from committees|first1 = Manu|last1 = Raju|first2 = Ali|last2 = Zaslav|first3 = Lauren|last3 = Fox|work = [[CNN]]|date = February 2, 2021|access-date = February 3, 2021|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-republican-reaction/index.html}}</ref> but Greene will be a major topic of discussion for the Republican Congressional Caucus meeting on February 3, along with the fate of Congresswoman [[Liz Cheney]] following her vote in favor of the [[second impeachment of Donald Trump]].<ref name = WSJ20210202 />