What’s the deal with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)?

Even before she took office, the newly-elected lawmaker received criticism for her support of the QAnon conspiracy movement and comments she made on social media and in video footage before she was elected. While it is a given that the Democrats and their activist media allies will routinely create deceptive narratives about high-profile conservatives, Rep. Greene’s behavior has caused more harm to the Republican Party than good.

A CNN report showed that the lawmaker published questionable posts on social media. In one instance, she called for the deaths of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other prominent Democratic lawmakers.

“In one Facebook post from April 2018, Greene wrote conspiratorially about the Iran Deal, one of former President Barack Obama’s signature foreign policy achievements. A commenter asked Greene, ‘Now do we get to hang them ?? Meaning H & O ???,’ referring to Obama and Hillary Clinton,” according to the report, which shows screenshots of the posts.

The report also noted that Greene started a White House petition in 2019 to impeach Pelosi for “crimes of treason.” She made a video promoting the petition in which she suggested the House speaker should be executed for treason. She said:

“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.”

In another Facebook livestream filmed from inside Pelosi’s office in February 2019, the lawmaker said the speaker would “suffer death or she’ll be in prison” for her “treason.” She made similar comments about Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).

As if these statements weren’t absurd enough, it gets even worse. Last week, Greene faced calls for her resignation after another report indicated that she agreed with people on her Facebook page claiming that the Parkland shooting was a “false flag” operation, meaning that the incident was carried out by a conspiracy of bad actors to push a political agenda.

The representative posted a statement on Twitter in which she claimed some of her posts “did not represent my views” and that the media is publishing them because she is supposedly “a threat to their goal of socialism.” She also claimed that at times, other people have managed her account.

It needs to be said, so I’m saying it: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is no threat to any socialist agenda. If anything, she and her ilk make it easier for the far-left to push their agenda.

The representative did not deny that she published the Facebook posts in question. While the videos she recorded have been taken down, she does not reject the claims that she made the statements about Pelosi.

In cases such as these, it is always tempting to respond with, “but the left does it too!” Yes, prominent far-leftists use this type of rhetoric on a routine basis. Nevertheless, whataboutism is not going to serve the conservative movement well in this particular case. Defeating the left isn’t just about using their tactics, but it is also about giving the rest of the nation a valid alternative to the dishonesty and hysteria coming from the Democrats.

It is important to remember that not everyone on our side is actually advancing our cause. Some might only be looking for clout and status. Others are grifting for dollars. Some might sincerely believe they are helping. But this does not mean that all are beneficial to advancing conservatism.

Rep. Greene has turned out to be more of an impediment than a champion. She has already given the left more ammo with which to attack the right. Radical leftists like AOC have already made use of her ludicrous antics and bigoted comments. (See: AOC: There Are ‘Legitimate White Supremacist Sympathizers’ in Republican Caucus) The bottom line is that we need leaders who can effectively promote conservative policies, not those who prefer engaging in grandstanding hijinks like pushing an impeachment effort against Biden that has absolutely no chance of going anywhere.

Greene has managed to become the female version of former Rep. Steve King, who was finally censured by the GOP after years of making racist remarks and associating with questionable groups. When supposed leaders in the movement, like King and Greene, are shown to be toxic, it does not make sense to keep them around just because they might agree with our politics. In reality, they are only providing aid and comfort to the Democrats, who will gladly shine a spotlight on these individuals.

In the end, Republican voters decided to oust King during the 2018 primaries. Perhaps it would benefit the conservative movement if the same happened with Greene in 2022.