Marjorie Taylor Greene Accuses Matt Gaetz of Leaving Republicans 'Weakened'

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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In the wake of the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday, Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed Matt Gaetz for leaving the GOP in a "serious[ly] weakened position" after he triggered the historic vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker.

The unfolding crisis in Gaza has added pressure to the urgency of finding a new House Speaker after McCarthy was removed from his role last week following a deal he negotiated with Democrats to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The vote to remove him, triggered by Gaetz with a motion to vacate, was 216-210 in favor of the ouster. Eight Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to support the motion, including Gaetz, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.

Marjorie Taylor Greene
Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene on September 14, 2023, in Washington, DC. She has blamed Matt Gaetz for leaving the Republican party in a "weakened" state amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Interviewed on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, the Georgia congresswoman spoke of the state of the GOP following the vote to remove the former House Speaker and condemned the eight Republicans who voted against McCarthy.

"I want to remind everyone that we barely control the majority of the House, and that's only one-third of the federal government," Greene said. "What happened last week, I completely disagree with. It was eight Republicans joining with all the Democrats in the House and basically throwing the gavel on the floor and saying it's now up for grabs for everyone that wants it," she said.

"This is not a serious thing to do when you control the House of Representatives. No matter how you feel about Kevin McCarthy, I can tell you I was getting things accomplished, because through Kevin McCarthy I was able to get the Ukraine money taken out of the defense bill [...]," she said. "I also got an impeachment inquiry launched [...] and that was because I urged him to do it."

Greene added that she wants "change in Washington too" but that she's "very concerned about where we stand right now," adding that the only way change can happen is by the GOP controlling the White House, the Senate, and the House.

The Georgia congresswoman, a Trump loyalist, previously clashed with Republican hardliners like Gaetz over McCarthy's January election, which only happened after 15 rounds of voting and with Greene's support. The animosity that followed between Greene and her then-fellow Freedom Caucus members cost her membership in the group.

Talking specifically about the Hamas attack, Greene alleged that "what happened to Israel could happen to America," comparing the decades-long tension in the region to the issue of illegal immigration in the U.S.

Greene said that the U.S. "has been invaded by millions of people from over 160 countries, we've been invaded by people we don't even know where they are."

Newsweek contacted Greene's spokesperson for comment by email on Monday.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Gaza after Hamas fired thousands of rockets from the exclave into Israel early on Saturday. In an unprecedented attack that appeared to elude Israeli intelligence, Hamas launched an incursion into Israeli border towns in the south of the country, killing and kidnapping residents celebrating the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Israel then carried out strikes on the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, declaring Israel was now "at war."

At least 700 people have been killed in Israel and over 400 have been killed in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.

Update, 10/10/2023 4:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include the name of the Fox News show Greene appeared on.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more