Monday, October 17, 2022

'Power' play for Marjorie Taylor Greene: Beware the base, Kevin McCarthy

Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) warned the base will be "unhappy" if House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) fails to give her power should Republicans recapture the House.

Greene, who has been stripped of her committee assignments for her past rhetoric, is hopeful that McCarthy, who is lined up to become the next speaker, will grant her "a lot of power and a lot of leeway." She also said he will have little choice but to be "a lot more aggressive" in countering Democrats' efforts on the policy front.

"I think that to be the best speaker of the House and to please the base, he’s going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway,” Greene told the New York Times. “And if he doesn’t, they’re going to be very unhappy about it. I think that’s the best way to read that. And that’s not in any way a threat at all. I just think that’s reality.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) arrives to speak at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Susan Walsh/AP

During his tenure as the No. 1 House Republican, McCarthy has sought to court favor with the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, in which Green touts an active membership. For example, he invited Greene to his rollout of the "Commitment to America" platform last month.

If the GOP recaptures the House, Greene expects there will be a "lot of investigations" into the Democrats and the Biden family. She believes that political pressure may nudge McCarthy into being more aggressive against the Left. She is running for reelection in November, facing Democratic opponent Marcus Flowers.

“My style would be a lot more aggressive, of course,” she added in the New York Times interview. “For [McCarthy], I think the evidence needs to be there. But I think people underestimate him, in thinking he wouldn’t do it.”

Greene has made a name for herself with her ardent support of former President Donald Trump and star power in the MAGA wing of the GOP. During the midterm election cycle, she has flexed her endorsement power and backed candidates such as J.D. Vance and Kari Lake in contentious primaries.

When pressed about whether reports that McCarthy offered to create a new leadership role for her were true, Greene was coy. “I don’t have to have a leadership position. I think I already have one, without having one,” she said. A McCarthy spokesperson denied the report.

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