Marjorie Taylor Greene Thanks FBI After She Called to Defund It

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene thanked law enforcement officials, including the FBI, after a man was arrested for threatening to kill her, her family and her staff, CNN reported on Thursday.

The arrested man left a phone message at the office of the congresswoman and threatened to "murder her," according to CNN, which heard a recording the legislator's staff shared with the outlet. The man is accused of using communications devices to make threats, CNN reported, citing the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia—a felony offense.

"I want to thank every single member of law enforcement who acted swiftly in response to this murderous threat. From Rome City Police, the Floyd County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Capitol Police, the House Sergeant at Arms, and ultimately the FBI who made the arrest, every official acted quickly to put this man behind bars," Greene told CNN in a statement.

"I'm not the only victim with this threat of violence. My family is threatened. My staff is threatened. I even had to close my district office due to the potential of violence. It's wrong and never should happen," she added.

Violence against elected officials has increased over the past few years, according to the Capitol Police, the agency that protects Congress. In 2022, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) Threat Assessment Section investigated 7,501 cases of threats against legislators—this was a decline from the 9,625 cases that were looked into the previous year but still higher than it was in 2017, when the total stood at 3,939 cases.

"The threats against Members of Congress are still too high," U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement in January. "This has resulted in a necessary expansion of, not only our investigative capabilities, but our protection responsibilities as well."

He added: "While that work is ongoing, everyone continuing to decrease violent political rhetoric across the country is the best way to keep everyone safe."

The USCP said that the number of threats against both Republicans and Democrats was similar.

Some officials at USCP said violent rhetoric has been emboldened by the anonymity some feel through social media.

"Overall, during the last couple of decades, the Threat Assessment Section's caseload has increased because people on social media have a false sense of anonymity and feel more emboldened," Dr. Mario Scalora, the U.S. Capitol Police's consulting psychologist, said in the statement. "This is not a problem we can only arrest our way out of."

Representative Greene has at times been critical of the FBI, alleging that the agency has been used as a "political weapon," The Hill reported in April.

She has also in the past advocated for the agency to see its budget cut.

"DEFUND THE FBI!" Greene posted on X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, in August 2022.

Newsweek contacted Representative Greene's office on Friday for comment via email.