Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican from Georgia, has been considered to be a pariah by many. When Democrats had a majority in the House last year, she was stripped of committee assignments soon after her inauguration in 2021 due to an abundance of online and in-person remarks that contained conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and hate.
Now that the Republicans control the House by a slim number of representatives, and Representative Kevin McCarthy has been elected House Speaker (replacing Nancy Pelosi), Greene is seen to be ‘sucking up’ to McCarthy, and criticizing hardliners who have been fighting against McCarthy becoming Speaker.
It’s a sign that Greene is positioning herself next to McCarthy in order to gain legitimacy and influence in the Republican Party.
Greene has become one of the Republican party’s most active fundraisers and received a lot of media exposure during the Trump era.
Her personal Twitter account was suspended due to misinformation about COVID-19 and was restored after Elon Musk took over the company. She was a part of a group of Republican lawmakers who opposed the certification of the 2020 election, and her posts on social media before she entered Congress contained language that appeared to support the execution of notable Democrats.
As the midterm elections in 2022 approached, her influence started to spread beyond the party’s fringe and into more mainstream areas. Republican pollster Jim Hobart claimed that there is now a power vacuum for Republicans, particularly in the House, which presents a chance for someone like Greene to get notoriety.
A Republican strategist praised Greene’s transformation to cooperate with leadership, like McCarthy, without offending the grassroots movement in the Republican Party. Greene holds a unique seat in this Congress and Washington DC and enjoys the support of former President Donald Trump, the House Speaker, and a sizable portion of conservative voters. She is attempting to exercise influence by possibly operating from within.
Republicans in the House won’t be able to do much on paper even if they unite on a plan since Democrats still hold control of the Senate and the White House. However, conservatives pushing for a change in House rules will help Greene rise to the Party’s place at the table.
