Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing blowback on Twitter that could soon translate to real-life consequences after a stunning attack aimed at Ketanji Brown Jackson and those supporting her confirmation to the Supreme Court.
The far-right Georgia congresswoman used the deluge of accusations raised by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming that Ms Jackson was too lenient in the sentencing of those convicted of having child sexual abuse images to go a step further and directly condemn Ms Jackson’s supporters as “pro-pedophile”, specifically naming three GOP senators who have announced their intentions to vote for Ms Jackson.
During her comments, made on far-right network “Real America’s Voice”, the congresswoman went on to mock the Harvard-educated judge with nearly a decade of service on the bench as “someone so ignorant she doesn’t know what a woman is”. That remark referred to Ms Jackson’s refusal to give a biological definition of a woman to GOP senators during her confirmation hearing, which she said would be a question for physicians or biologists.
It was that charge of ignorance that drew immediate pushback on Tuesday when the clip was shared on Twitter.
“The irony of this person referring to anyone as ignorant priceless,” wrote Twitter user Mike Newhall.
“A typical case of the pot calling the kettle black,” added another.
Her reference to Sens Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski as “pro-pedophile” is likely to rankle Republicans in the upper chamber especially considering that backlash that her fellow far-right member of the House, Madison Cawthorn, faced after his comments accusing members of inviting him to an orgy and doing cocaine in front of him surfaced online.
The congresswoman and ally of Donald Trump remarked in the video that she didn’t care who was “melting down” over her remarks, but the ugly and baseless accusation that three sitting senators support pedophilia could easily translate to real-life consequences for the freshman House member given that the three senators, while frequently willing to buck the party line on votes, remain in good standing with Senate GOP leadership.
Mr Cawthorn was faced with calls from other GOP members of the House to name names or cease his accusations after making the comments in an interview with a right-wing podcast host, and was even hauled into a meeting with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy last week and denounced as a liar by the GOP leader afterwards.
“This is unacceptable. There’s no evidence to this. He changes what he [says] and that’s not becoming of a Congressman ... He did not tell the truth,” said Mr McCarthy to reporters after his meeting with Mr Cawthorn.
Ms Greene remains stripped of her committee assignments, where legislation is crafted and key hearings occur, following the discovery of her past remarks in support of violence against Democrats including Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House. Mr McCarthy has indicated that she could regain her committee assignments should the GOP retake control of the House in the fall, but it remains to be seen whether she will remain in his favour that long.
The Georgia congresswoman has previously faced accusations of ignorance herself, particularly after invoking what she called Ms Pelosi’s “Gazpacho police” – apparently meaning the Gestapo – and referring to Joe Biden as “commander and chief”.
