QAnon congresswoman says violent threats made before she was elected don't count

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) suggested on Tuesday that a report she had “liked” violent threats against Democratic lawmakers on social media meant nothing because it happened before she was elected to Congress.

Greene, who has backed the baseless QAnon conspiracy and false claims that the 2018 Parkland mass shooting was a hoax, was responding to a CNN report noting she had liked a Facebook comment from January 2019 that said “a bullet to the head would be quicker” to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her position.

CNN also reported that Greene like comments about executing “deep state” FBI agents against Trump.

“Fake News CNN is writing yet another hit piece on me focused on my time before running for political office,” she tweeted.

She also appeared to deflect blame to her staff for the liked comments, adding, “Over the years, I’ve had teams of people manage my pages. Many posts have been liked. Many posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views.”

Greene, who recently came under scrutiny for objecting to metal detectors installed outside the House and Senate chambers in the wake of the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riot that left five people dead, and donned a mask with a pro-gun slogan in the days that followed the insurrection, has a history of using violent imagery to make political points.

Last September, Greene, then a candidate, posted a picture of herself wielding a rifle next to the group of Democratic congresswomen known as “The Squad,” Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), and Rashida Tlaib (MI). Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), another member of “The Squad,” was not included in the image.

“Hate America leftists want to take this country down,” Greene wrote in the since-deleted post. “Our country is on the line. America needs fighters who speak the truth. We need strong conservative Christians to go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart. Americans must take our country back. SAVE AMERICA. STOP SOCIALISM. DEFEAT THE DEMOCRATS!”

The Washington Post noted at the time that it was “an unprecedented threat” against her future potential congressional colleagues.

According to CNN, in 2018, Greene also appeared to boost a violent threat about executing former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for their support of the Iran nuclear deal, responding to a Facebook commenter who had asked, “Now do we get to hang them?” with her own comment that read, “Stage is being set. Players are being put in place. We must be patient. This must be done perfectly or liberal judges would let them off.”

And the outlet noted that in February 2019, Greene also suggested in a Facebook video that Pelosi should be executed for treason.

“She took an oath to protect American citizens and uphold our laws. And she gives aid and comfort to our enemies who illegally invade our land. That’s what treason is. And by our law representatives and senators can be kicked out and no longer serve in our government. And it’s, uh, it’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason.”

Greene has faced stark criticism for her support of dangerous conspiracy theories, including the false claim that the Parkland shooting was a “false flag” attack, planned as part of an inside effort to take away guns from Americans.

She has also suggested that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was a false flag, responding to one comment saying it was a “stagged [sic]” event with “that’s all true.”

Gun control advocacy groups, including Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action (MDA), have since called for her resignation.

Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts said in a statement, “Dangerous conspiracy theorists who peddle disinformation like Rep. Greene ever further damage the credibility of Congress,” adding that the “lies traumatize the survivors of shooting tragedies and put their safety in danger.”

The Georgia lawmaker is also an adherent of the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims Donald Trump was working to halt a secret cabal of top Democrats and celebrities who were engaged in global child-sex trafficking and cannibalism, before he left office.

In a 2017 video, Greene called the purported QAnon leader — a shadowy, faceless figure named “Q” — a “patriot.”

There is no evidence to support any of the QAnon theories.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.