Marjorie Taylor Greene's War With Republicans Heats Up

The rift that opened between Marjorie Taylor Greene and fellow Republican hardliners during the lengthy process of electing Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker earlier this year has only deepened, with recent events exacerbating a growing mutual frustration.

On Tuesday, Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan was censured by the House after Republican Rich McCormick of Georgia brought forward a new resolution against her over what he called her promotion of antisemitic rhetoric. The measure passed despite the fact a similar resolution to censure Tlaib, promoted by Greene, failed last week.

Tlaib—the only Palestinian American in Congress—has been under intense scrutiny since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. The Michigan Democrat, a longtime critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, mourned the deaths on both Israeli and Palestinian sides but also condemned the Israeli strikes on Gaza, calling for a ceasefire to protect civilian lives.

Greene was the first Republican to call for punishment against Tlaib, saying last month that she would have introduced a resolution to censure her as soon as a new House Speaker was chosen. But once she was actually able to do so, her censure resolution failed, with 23 Republicans voting against it.

The rejection angered Greene, who on social media decried the "feckless" Republicans who didn't support her measure. On Monday, Greene told reporters she was "sick and tired" of Republicans.

"Republican voters across the country are sick and tired of Republicans because they never do anything to hold this government accountable. Republicans go out on the campaign trail, they go on TV, and post on social media and say all this garbage that they are going to fight it, stop it," Greene told CNN's Manu Raju outside Capitol Hill.

"I feel like many of the American people that think Republicans in Congress completely fail them, I feel the same way. And I'm a Republican member of Congress."

The passing of a similar censure resolution against Tlaib on Tuesday embittered the Georgia congresswoman even more.

"The tale of two censure resolutions tells you everything you need to know about why no one is ever held accountable," Greene wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. According to Greene, the House should have passed her resolution because it condemned Tlaib for "her incitement of the Oct 18th illegal occupation of the Capitol Complex where hundreds were arrested" during a pro-Palestinian protest.

McCormick's censure resolution focused on Tlaib's condemnation of Israel's treatment of Palestinians and her defense of the controversial pro-Palestinian slogan "from the river to the sea," saying that the Michigan Democrat "levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attack on October 7."

Tlaib, a progressive, said: "I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words. No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it's been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation."

Newsweek contacted Greene's and Tlaib's spokespersons by email for comment on Wednesday.

In an interview with The Daily Caller, Greene blamed newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson for the failure of her own censure resolution, suggesting he "should be ousted."

These outbursts against fellow Republican lawmakers are increasingly alienating Greene from the rest of the party, as recently stated by Florida Representative Byron Donalds.

Greene, a MAGA Republican and loyal Donald Trump ally, was once shunned to the fringes of the GOP for extremist rhetoric and incendiary statements, which led to her being stripped of her committee assignments in early 2021.

The Georgia congresswoman has since ascended through the ranks of the party, growing in influence after she supported McCarthy's bid for election as House Speaker. This stance cost her the support of some of her former allies, like Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Matt Gaetz of Florida, who criticized her for backing the California congressman.

After a heated exchange with Boebert, Greene was kicked out of the Freedom Caucus earlier this year.