Summary
- Marjorie Taylor Greene calls many GOP men “weak.”
- Says GOP men fear strong Republican women’s influence.
- Criticizes Republican leadership for lacking assertiveness and unity.
As the government shutdown that started on October 1 was about to enter its third week, Greene further deviated from her party's electoral plans by expressing her concerns with Republicans in an interview with the Washington Post.
Since she ran for her seat representing Georgia's 14th congressional district years ago, Greene has disagreed with certain Republican tactics. Even though Republicans have controlled Congress and the White House since the start of Donald Trump's second term in January, she believes they are not acting aggressively enough to advance their objectives.
During the government shutdown, Greene expressed her dissatisfaction with her own party's legislative leaders, specifically House Speaker Mike Johnson, in the interview with the Post.
In order to advance their budget plan, the Trump supporter on social media urged the US Senate to remove the 60-vote filibuster rule to end the government shutdown. Greene told the Post that despite the fact that "it's math," Johnson reportedly informed her that "they can't do it."
In a rare move for a Republican, Greene also supported Democrats in their push to offer healthcare subsidies, which has been the main area of contention in talks between the two parties to end the government shutdown.
In recent months, the Georgia representative has also advocated for additional transparency regarding Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous businessman and convicted sex offender.
Despite Johnson and Trump’s opposition to the release of those files, Greene has been prominent in trying to force a vote on the matter.
Greene and her allies had failed to enlist fellow Republicans in the struggle to release the Epstein files, she told the Post, because “they don’t want to get yelled at by the president”.
“They don’t want to get yelled at by Johnson,”
she said.
Similarly, Greene said that Republican women were being sidelined by party leadership, a claim other members of the GOP reject. She said that Republican women had been unfairly treated by party leadership, including herself and the New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Greene dismissed Johnson and other Republican leaders as “weak” men.
“There’s a lot of weak Republican men, and they’re more afraid of strong Republican women,”
Greene remarked.
“So they always try to marginalize the strong Republican women that actually want to do something and actually want to achieve.”
After Trump declared he needed Stefanik more in the House of Representatives, the Trump supporter was stripped of her nomination as ambassador to the UN in March. Michael Waltz, the national security adviser, was appointed ambassador to the UN in exchange, despite an incident in which he included a reporter in a secret conversation with senior authorities about military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
Stefanik “gets shafted” while Walz “gets rewarded”, Greene said to the Post. “She’s a woman so it was OK to do that to her somehow.”
How have Greene's remarks affected her standing in Congress?
Greene has increasingly clashed with GOP leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson, and her outspoken behavior has alienated many Republican colleagues. Some view her as a disruptive presence unwilling to work collaboratively within the party.
Greene was expelled from key House committees in past years due to controversial comments but has continued to challenge party leadership and advocate for more hardline positions, contributing to ongoing friction.
Despite opposition within her own party, Greene maintains a strong base of MAGA supporters and retains backing from influential figures like former President Donald Trump. Some Democrats and prominent political figures have surprisingly praised her recent candidness.