It used to be joked about that White House aides would grind Valium into Donald Trump’s Diet Coke, so as to take the edge off when he heard a piece of news that particularly galled him. Expand that image exponentially and that’s what Kevin McCarthy is going to need when he hears this. Marjorie Taylor Greene is not only certain she’s returning to Congress, she’s certain she’s destined to be a high roller there and she expects McCarthy — granting arguendo that he will be Speaker of the House — to indulge her fantasies.
In Greene’s view, a Speaker McCarthy would have little choice but to adopt Greene’s “a lot more aggressive” approach toward punishing Biden and his fellow Democrats for what she sees as their policy derelictions and for conducting a “witch hunt” against former President Trump. “I think that to be the best speaker of the House and to please the base, he’s going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway,” she predicted in a flat, unemotional voice. “And if he doesn’t, they’re going to be very unhappy about it. I think that’s the best way to read that. And that’s not in any way a threat at all. I just think that’s reality.”
And are you ready for this? Supposedly McCarthy has been going along with this. New York Times Magazine:
In another measure of her influence within the national party, Greene’s endorsement and support have been eagerly sought by 2022 G.O.P. hopefuls like the Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and the Ohio U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance. Within the House Republican conference, McCarthy has assiduously courted her support, inviting her to high-level policy meetings (such as a discussion about the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets Department of Defense policy for the year) and, according to someone with knowledge of their exchanges, offering to create a new leadership position for her.
McCarthy’s spokesman denies that the minority leader has made such an offer. When I asked Greene if the report was inaccurate, she smiled and said, “Not necessarily.” But then she added: “I don’t have to have a leadership position. I think I already have one, without having one.”
She also goes back and forth on supporting law enforcement and accusing the FBI of nefarious deeds on January 6.
[White nationalist talk show host Katie] Hopkins listened attentively, her face knotted with anguish, and observed, “It’s almost as if you’re one of them — you’re almost like one of those who could’ve been at the rally.”
“I am one of those people,” Greene said emphatically. “That’s exactly who I am.”
Hastily, as if realizing the implication of what she had said, she added: “I’m not one of those people that attacked the Capitol yesterday. I completely condemn that. I completely condemn attacking law enforcement; I support our police officers. And I thank them for their courage yesterday in keeping us safe. I know there were bad actors involved and investigations are underway — and it’s Antifa.” (In subsequent months, Greene would blame the F.B.I. for possibly instigating the violence on Jan. 6. She also voted against awarding police officers who defended the Capitol that day the congressional gold medal, its highest honor.)
Greene also said to Hopkins, “I’m not a politician.” Like much of what she said during their interview, this statement was not altogether accurate. Her precocious gift for offending and demonizing qualified her as a natural for the trade as it had come to be reimagined by Trump and his acolytes.
Ronna McDaniel has called Greene’s views “atrocious,” Mitch McConnell has referred to them as “loony” and as a “cancer” on the party. She claims, “Part of my problem is, I’ve been too early,” which indicates that she thinks that QAnon and MAGA are only going to become more firmly entrenched in our politics.
Could be. Or, it could be that the electorate is going to visit a stunning rebuke upon the Republicans in 23 days, in which case the uber right extremes are going to be the first diseased appendages cut away if the political body of the GOP is to survive.
I guess we’ll wait and see. Get Out The Vote. Democracy’s life depends upon it.
tRump likes wackos like Marge, so he could be leaning on Kev to give her more to do. God let’s hope not. Last thing we need is this big-mouthed moran getting more power.
moron not moran.
FBI…stop lying under oath Mr director & arrest her for planting pipebombs!!!
So, um, you have evidence of this and you haven’t shared it with law enforcement?
Or are you just waiting until you can get Greene in court and surprise everyone like all the Trumpers were doing with their “evidence” of all that voter fraud that would overturn the 2020 election?
You do understand that you can’t arrest anyone on SUSPICION? You have to have SOME KIND of actual evidence otherwise the person walks and can possibly sue for unlawful detainment.
But keep posting those conspiracy theories. DOYC knows we can’t let the QAnon folks be the only ones tossing the bull.
She thinks seniority isn’t going to matter. She’s going to learn the hard way.