W.When Marjorie Taylor Greene was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, she became one of the most visible figures in the wave of extremists joining the Republican Party.
Georgia lawmaker who suggested Jewish space lasers caused wildfires speculates whether 9/11 was a hoax and endorsed QAnon conspiracy theory, part of new wave of Trumpian Republicans and was ridiculed, ridiculed and vilified in equal measure – including some of her own party.
But in 2023, Green is on a sure path to becoming one of the Republican Party’s leading figures. She has become a favorite and major ally of the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, and is preparing to take on duties on some of Congress’ most important committees.
Few saw a dramatic rise during the turbulent first half of 2021, when Green made her name known for her penchant for wild conspiracy theories and bizarre rhetoric, but the Republican Party Her promotion to the upper echelons of The New York Times was confirmed in this week by McCarthy in an interview with The New York Times.
“I’d rather keep Marjorie in the foxhole if we’re going to fight,” said McCarthy.
“When she fights, she keeps fighting until the fight is over. She reminds me of my high school friends. We’re going to be together forever.”
Despite her previous belief that no planes crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11, Greene was given a position on the Homeland Security Committee and expected to serve on the subcommittee. It was rewarded with an oversight committee. We are investigating government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
If the latter seems to be the problem, given the suspicions and conspiracy theories about the pandemic that Green has outspoken about — in January, she was permanently banned from Twitter for repeatedly violating Covid-19 misinformation rules. – It’s just because a lot of what Greene said and did matters.
In 2021, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called out Green’s support for executing Democratic politicians and harassing survivors of a school shooting. of “absurd lies and conspiracy theories”.
Later that year, McCarthy himself, who had previously tried to avoid conflict, felt compelled to intervene after Greene compared Covid masking rules to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews.
“Marjorie is wrong and her deliberate decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust to wearing masks is appalling,” McCarthy said.
“The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is very disturbing,” he said.
The multiple accusations and the viciousness of Greene’s beliefs, disavowed or not, set her apart and all the more noteworthy as she took seats on some of Congress’ most powerful committees.
Green’s recent rapid rise began when she endorsed McCarthy as leader of the House, two months before the final farcical vote in which he was elected after 15 ballots. joined early, voicing their support on Steve Bannon’s podcast in November.
For McCarthy, who was an unpopular figure among far-right voters and politicians, it was the latter choice that was embarrassing at best in how he was promoted to public speaker, and it was the boost he needed.
McCarthy and Green spent months developing a working relationship that they believed was beneficial to both. In 2021, she essentially has nothing to do in Washington.
As McCarthy prepared to assume the presidency, The New York Times noted the problems faced by his centrist predecessors, John Boehner and Paul Ryan, in dealing with their far-right colleagues. It was reported that
Ryan and Boehner, who would later describe some of his right-wing colleagues as “bastards,” endured a battle with the Freedom Caucus, a conservative and often obstructionist group of Republican lawmakers.
Greene remains one of Trump’s most popular figures among supporters and followers, with her 758,000 followers on Trump’s Truth social website (McCarthy has 113,000, House Majority Leader 109,000) and enjoys a close relationship with the former president. Trump even got a phone call from a congressman when the January leadership vote fell flat.
Green has also been a successful fundraiser, bringing in $12.5 million in the 2021-22 election cycle, the fifth-most among Republicans in Congress, and her popularity with supporters and ties with Trump. has made her a model for new Republican politicians.
For Green’s part, she has attempted somewhat to disinfect the underinformed, conspiracy-oriented perspective that has characterized her political career. It started, a close friend told The Washington Post.
From the sidelines, having an office in Congress but no meaningful role in the House, she began to think about her future. The Post reported that he believed in it and saw its role as a bridge between the far right and the less eccentric Republicans.
As she tried to gain acceptance with a wider audience, Green said she would not speak at any more white supremacist rallies or talk about the “Gazpacho Police” who apparently patrol the U.S. Capitol. (Her remarks were widely understood to mean the Gestapo.) She also orchestrated the plane crash in which the Clintons killed John F. Kennedy Jr. more than 20 years ago. It has yet to repeat its 2018 assertion that
In addition to this new reserve, Green hired a new aide with a track record of traditional conservative politics, who eventually met with McCarthy once a week.
McCarthy went on to win the speakership. But his right-wing concessions, embodied in Green’s promotion, come at a price. Already, McCarthy is pursuing a Green-backed far-right strategy regarding vaccines and treatment for the Jan. 6 perpetrators, much to Green’s delight.
“People need to understand that I’m not the only one who deserves the credit,” Greene told The New York Times.
“What I heard was the will and voice of our base, and Kevin listened to them. I was just a vehicle most of the time.”
If Greene has displayed some feigned humility, her belief that she is giving people’s will and willingness to have it heard is a warning as to the level of influence she currently wields. .
Green in her new role Said She investigates: “How many of our enemies got a pallet of cash!?” promised to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas, who is perceived to have failed to
Green’s political position in February 2021 came under fire for inflammatory and racist remarks when she was removed from her commission assignments by Democrats (and some Republicans). On lawmakers, women of color, and Facebook, it’s taken a dramatic turnaround.
Less than two years later, Green has been appointed to two of the House’s most important committees. She has a metaphorical seat to the right of the Speaker of the House, and will enjoy the visibility all this brings.
This is both a testament to the speed of change in politics and a very visible reminder of what the Republican Party increasingly stands for.
Green may have tried to sanitize her image, but it is clear that her brand of populism, anger and misinformation is not the embarrassment of party leadership as it once was. This is the modern version of the Republican Party.
