Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks out: A prominent ally of Donald Trump claimed the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has exposed Democrats “for who they really are.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch supporter of the former president, made the remarks following a clip from documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, The Insurrectionist Next Door. The film, directed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, visits people arrested in connection with the infamous riots.
Released on Sunday by HBO, the documentary sees Pelosi spending time with Trump loyalists who stormed the Capitol while Congress confirmed the results of the 2020 presidential election. The footage was recorded with the intention of Alexandra making a film about her mother, who was House Speaker at the time.
The Clip In Question
Rep. Greene’s comments came in response to a clip that shows Capitol rioter Paul Hodgkins, who pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, refusing to blame the former president following his sentencing of eight months’ imprisonment. “I’m not going to place blame on the former president. I’m not going to place blame on journalism,” said Hodgkins. “I made a poor decision, and I’m going to be held accountable for my poor decision.”
Eight months later, once released, Hodgkins spoke to Pelosi, who was surprised to see him watching One America News Network, a conservative media outlet that continued to promote Trump’s unevidenced claims of a fraudulent election.
“You’re still watching conservative television?” Pelosi asked. “You served eight months in jail for everything you believe in based on what you saw on those shows and you’re still watching them?”
In response, Hodgkins said: “I was supposed to turn into a liberal with that or something? No, no. My opinions on what’s good and not good for our country have not changed.”
Greene’s Response
Posting on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Greene claimed that the establishment wanted to “destroy” the former president, who himself repeatedly expresses his belief that he’s the subject of a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
“They wanted January 6 to be the reason Americans turned their backs on Trump and they are trying to use it to destroy him,” the Georgia Congresswoman wrote. “But it didn’t work, it won’t work, and it will never work. Because it’s only exposing Democrats for who they really are, which will destroy them in the end.”
Greene has consistently defended the Capitol rioters, having declared her “unwavering” support for Trump following his federal indictment in August. The Republican frontrunner was criminally charged under four counts due to his alleged election interference and role in the Capitol riots.
“Innocent individuals, including former President Donald J. Trump, are being unjustly targeted by a Department of Injustice and an FBI transformed into political hitmen, acting at the behest of the sitting president,” she said in August.
Trump, who denies all wrongdoing, will stand trial in Washington D.C. next year.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
