Controversial Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing withering backlash, including a Democratic effort to expel her from the US House of Representatives, for incendiary comments and social media posts that are setting Washington and her party on edge.
Ms Greene, a 46-year-old from Georgia, has expressed support for discredited conspiracy theories pushed by the QAnon far-right movement, and has echoed former president Donald Trump’s baseless election fraud claims.
She finds herself in political quicksand this week for newly unearthed posts in which she signalled support for executing Democratic politicians.
Ms Greene is a fierce gun rights advocate who has refused security screening at the House chamber, prompting Speaker Nancy Pelosi to warn that there is an “enemy” within Congress.
The new revelations come as Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly seeks a meeting with the first-term congresswoman to discuss the situation.
Perhaps most alarming are Ms Greene’s own remarks, and her likes of Facebook posts, that appear to support executing Ms Pelosi.
Ms Greene agreed with a 2019 post in which a Facebook user said “a bullet to the head” would quickly remove Ms Pelosi from power, according to a CNN report Tuesday.
In a speech from before Ms Greene ran for Congress in 2020, and recently uncovered by CNN but since removed from her Facebook feed, she called Ms Pelosi a “traitor” who could be executed.
“It’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason,” she said.
In response Ms Greene tweeted that CNN did a “hit piece” focused on her time before seeking public office.
“Many posts have been liked. Most posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views,” Ms Greene wrote.
Ms Pelosi delivered a searing rebuke Thursday, telling reporters that Congress will likely need to boost security funding because “the enemy is within the House of Representatives.”
Ms Pelosi did not name Ms Greene but said “we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members.”
Ms Greene and some other Republicans say they carry firearms, and have sought to dodge metal detectors recently installed at entrances to the House chamber.
Only a few Republicans have openly criticised Ms Greene. One of them is congressman Adam Kinzinger, who said Wednesday she has “nothing in common with our core values.”
With criticism mounting, House Democrat Jimmy Gomez said Thursday he is introducing a resolution to expel Ms Greene because she poses “a danger… to every member of Congress.”
Top Republicans recently appointed Ms Greene to the House education committee, despite her agreement with conspiracy theories that the deadly 2018 shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school was staged.
Ms Greene posted a video of herself confronting Parkland survivor David Hogg, calling him a “coward” and telling him that she carries a gun.
Democrats have expressed revulsion at her committee appointment.
Panel chairman Bobby Scott said Mr McCarthy “must explain how someone with this background represents the Republican party on education issues.”
