Georgia Republicans are reportedly rallying around Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., despite her run-ins with House and party leaders, and an effort to expel her from Congress.
At the state’s GOP convention over the weekend, Greene, who did not attend, largely escaped criticism, Politico reported.
“It’s like saying it’s ‘hot as hell,’” Debbie Dooley, a founder of the Tea Party movement in Atlanta — who wore a “We Love Marjorie” pin — told the news outlet about Greene’s comparison of COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements to the Holocaust.
According to Politico, more than 20 party activists and officials mentioned Greene’s disregard for political correctness and approach to politics as a “Washington outsider.” Many said they appreciate that she says what she believes, even if it’s inaccurate or dangerous — the same traits they admired in former President Donald Trump.
“If that were me up there, I’d be doing the same thing. Though she probably does it with more tact,” Sara Lain-Moneymaker, one of the hundreds of first-time convention attendees, told Politico.
Cooper Jacks, 14, the chairman of the Georgia Teen Republicans and a native of Greene’s north Georgia-based district, got a standing ovation after mentioning Greene in his Friday convention speech, Politico reported.
The teen began as a volunteer for Greene’s campaign before becoming a paid staffer, and said full-throated support for her is common.
“She’s very dynamic, very personable. She’s someone who’s different from the typical politician,” he told Politico. “When you go to her district and talk to people about her, they’re going to tell you, ‘we like the job she’s doing.’”
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other Washington Republicans who have condemned Greene’s comments are part of the problem, Greene’s supporters told Politico, arguing she stands up for their beliefs and should be free to do so. Others contend that like Trump, Greene should be taken seriously, but not literally, Politico reported.
One delegate, Joe Bohannon, said he “didn’t hear that” about her Holocaust remark but nevertheless admired her “tenacity,” Politico reported.
“She’s making waves. I just don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet,” Joel Allen, a party official in suburban Atlanta’s 6th Congressional District, told Politico. “I like that she’s making waves. I just wish she was a little more controlled.”
