Outrage Over Rep. Greene's Speech To White Nationalist 'America First' Event
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is at the center of controversy again for her appearance at a white nationalist event.
According to The Guardian, the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) was held in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, February 25. At the event organized by Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, Greene told an audience of white nationalist attendees that they were “'canceled Americans' who had a responsibility to 'stop the Democrats who are the communist party of the United States of America,'” reports HuffPost.
“You’ve been handed the responsibility to fight for our Constitution and stand for our freedoms, and stop the Democrats who are the communist party of the United States of America,” Greene said.
According to Axios, the white replacement theory was a common theme at the event. Vincent James Foxx, whom HuffPost described as "a former propagandist for the white supremacist street-fighting club Rise Above Movement," also echoed the dangerous claim.
“They want to replace you,” said Foxx. “Western white culture is the majority culture, to which even non-whites assimilate into today — and they’re better off for it.”
Amid growing controversy over her attendance, Greene is also facing calls for expulsive from the House of Representatives. On Friday, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY.) took to Twitter to share her concerns about Greene's appearance at the event.
With a quick video clip of highlights from the event, Cheney tweeted, “As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar speak at this white supremacist, antisemitic, pro-Putin event, silence by Republican party leaders is deafening and enabling. All Americans should renounce this garbage and reject the Putin wing of the GOP now.”
As Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep Paul Gosar speak at this white supremacist, anti-Semitic, pro-Putin event, silence by Republican Party leaders is deafening and enabling. \n\nAll Americans should renounce this garbage and reject the Putin wing of the GOP now.pic.twitter.com/6fgpV6ohZ8— Liz Cheney (@Liz Cheney) 1645893762
Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) also released a statement sounding off about Greene. He said: “In any other world, Greene speaking at a white supremacist conference where attendees have defended Vladimir Putin and praised Adolf Hitler would warrant expulsion from the caucus, to say nothing of her advocacy for violence and consistent antisemitism is disgusting."
.He added, “Quite simply, the longer Kevin McCarthy gives Marjorie Taylor Greene an unfettered platform and promises to elevate her, the more complicit he is.”
Despite opposition, Greene is defending her decision. On Saturday, February 26, she released a statement to CBS News.“I went to talk to them about America First policies and I talked to them about what’s important for our country going forward," Greene said.
“Now, in regards to Russia, Putin is a murderer and he should never have invaded Ukraine," she added, "What he is doing is completely wrong. I stand with our NATO member allies and I’m completely against this war. Everything that he’s doing is wrong. He’s killing people over and over so I’m staunchly against it and I’m staunchly against Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.”
Greene's statement only adds fuel to the fire due to multiple contradictions she made when she answered questions about the event. When asked if she was a supporter of Fuentes, Greene claimed, "I don’t know what his views are.”
In response to being told that he is a white nationalist, Greene said, “I do not endorse those views."
Reprinted with permission from AlterNet
Frequently Asked Questions:
Has Marjorie Taylor Greene aligned with white nationalists since American First Political Action Conference?
Even though Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has attempted convincing the public that she has changed since transforming into House leader Kevin McCarthy’s right-hand woman, she has indeed continued aligning with white nationalists. Back in December 2022, the New York Young Republican’s Club invited ultranationalist European leaders and white nationalists for their annual gala. Republican alt-right leaders, such as Steve Bannon and Donald Trump Jr., also attended the event. Guess who gave the closing remarks for NYYRC? You guessed it: Marjorie Taylor Greene, who bragged “…the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol would have succeeded if she had planned it and that the insurrectionists would have been armed.”
What is the “white replacement theory” that Marjorie Taylor Greene’s allies spouted at AFPAC?
Believers of white replacement theory (also known as “great replacement theory”) think “…there is a plot to diminish the influence of white people. Believers say this goal is being achieved both through the immigration of nonwhite people into societies that have largely been dominated by white people, as well as through simple demographics, with white people having lower birth rates than other populations.” White replacement theory has led to preventable tragedies in the United States, including white nationalists marching Charlottesville in 2017 and mass shootings at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, Black Church in 2015 and Buffalo supermarket in 2022.
Has Marjorie Taylor Greene had other controversies?
Marjorie Taylor Greene is infamous for many of her past public comments. MTG has supported the conspiracy theory QAnon, has wildly stated that a California wildfire originated from a laser "beamed from space and controlled by a prominent Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats”, and has supported murdering former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
