Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's permanently suspended Twitter account has been restored



Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal Twitter account has been reinstated, a move that comes as the social media platform restores various accounts following Elon Musk's acquisition of the company.

"I'm the only Member of Congress the unelected big tech oligarchs permanently banned. On January 2, 2022, they violated my freedom of speech and ability to campaign & fundraise crying 'covid misinformation.' My account is back. Go follow @mtgreenee for MTG unfiltered ;)," the Georgia Republican tweeted from her @RepMTG account, which had remained operational in the wake of the permanent suspension of the other account.

\u201cI'm the only Member of Congress the unelected big tech oligarchs permanently banned.\n\nOn January 2, 2022, they violated my freedom of speech and ability to campaign & fundraise crying "covid misinformation."\n\nMy account is back.\n\nGo follow @mtgreenee for MTG unfiltered ;)\u201d
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1669054798

Twitter permanently suspended Greene's @mtgreenee account in January, claiming that the account had run afoul of the company's policies pertaining to COVID-19 misinformation.

"We permanently suspended the account ... (@mtgreenee) for repeated violations of our COVID-19 misinformation policy," a Twitter spokesperson noted, according to reports at the time. "We've been clear that, per our strike system for this policy, we will permanently suspend accounts for repeated violations of the policy."

Since taking the helm at Twitter, Musk has restored previously banished accounts, including the account of former President Donald Trump — Trump had been a prolific tweeter during his White House tenure but was kicked off of the platform during the tail end of his presidency.

Earlier this year, before acquiring Twitter, Musk had called Twitter's move to oust Trump "morally wrong and flat-out stupid" and said that he would reverse the decision. Last week, Musk posted a Twitter poll asking whether he should reinstate Trump's account, and the result was that a majority of votes in the poll supported restoring the account.

"The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei," Musk tweeted on Saturday — the Latin phrase that he used means "the voice of the people (is) the voice of God."

Greene had responded to Musk's post from her @RepMTG account, tweeting, "President Trump should have never been banned in the first place. Interesting it took a poll to decide to reinstate him. My personal account is still permanently banned for 'covid misinformation.' What does it take to reinstate my account? Freedom of speech matters."

\u201c@elonmusk President Trump should have never been banned in the first place.\n\nInteresting it took a poll to decide to reinstate him.\n\nMy personal account is still permanently banned for \u201ccovid misinformation.\u201d\n\nWhat does it take to reinstate my account? \n\nFreedom of speech matters.\u201d
— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1668905605

Republicans refuse to wear masks on House floor in protest of ​Pelosi mandate



Several Republicans refused to wear their masks on the House floor Tuesday afternoon in a rebellion against Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) refusal to lift the mandate, despite the threat of hefty fines for the rule violation.

What are the details?

Politico reported ahead of the protest that Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) announced during a GOP conference meeting earlier in the day that he is "done" wearing masks, and will refuse to wear one on the House floor.

Mast confirmed his plan to the outlet, and said "many" of his colleagues agreed to do the same.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted from the House floor later, "We've had enough. We are refusing to wear our masks on the floor during this vote in spite of Pelosi's threat to take $500 from each of us. Her rule is not based on science. All you need to know is the mask rule has only ever applied to members when they can be seen on TV !"

We've had enough. We are refusing to wear our masks on the floor during this vote in spite of Pelosi's threat to ta… https://t.co/kpz2iqdjft
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) 1621369233.0

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) later tweeted out a photo of herself along with Reps. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Massie declaring, "#FreeYourFace Masks are oppressive and nothing but a political tool. End the oppression!"

#FreeYourFace Masks are oppressive and nothing but a political tool.End the oppression! https://t.co/EBvCtBpE6u
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) 1621369262.0

Greene also posted a picture of herself along with seven other Republicans outside the steps of the Capitol, tweeting, "Proud to join these Patriots for a peaceful protest on the House floor against mask mandates!"

Proud to join these Patriots for a peaceful protest on the House floor against mask mandates!#FreeYourFace😁 https://t.co/NSgC5Hfj4E
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) 1621377551.0

Journalist Jordan Schactel reported that other GOP members who joined the protest included Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Chip Roy (Texas), Bob Good (Va.), Beth Van Duyne (Texas), and Greg Steube (Fla.).

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is expected to introduce a motion on the topic on Wednesday, but sources told Politico that the "language is still being worked out."

What's the background?

Pelosi insists on keeping her mask mandate in place — threatening members with $500 fines on a first offense and $2,500 for a second — despite the CDC announcing last week that fully vaccinated Americans can stop wearing masks indoors in most places.

The speaker's move was condemned by several GOP lawmakers, including Mast, who tweeted that her action was "not about science" and "all about power."

The Hill pointed out that the Senate never had a mask mandate in place, and both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ditched their masks following the CDC's new guidance.

Kevin McCarthy rejects 'nativist dog whistles' of the 'America First Caucus' led by Marjorie Greene and others



House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) issued a missive in flat opposition to the newly announced "America First Caucus" organized by some Republican members of Congress including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) told reporters on Friday that he was looking into joining the caucus and said that Greene was leading the charge.

A document obtained by Punchbowl News with a logo of the caucus described one of the aims of the group.

"America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions," the document read.

The document also said the caucus would be in support of infrastructure projects that befit "the progeny of European architecture, whereby public infrastructure must be utilitarian as well as stunningly, classically beautiful, befitting a world power and source of freedom."

Some saw the inclusion of the phrase "Ango-Saxon" as racially charged and even accused the Republicans involved of being aligned with white supremacist ideals.

The beleaguered Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is inundated with his own scandal, unabashedly tweeted that he was joining the caucus.

"I'm proud to join @mtgreenee in the #AmericaFirst Caucus. We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers," tweeted Gaetz.

'The party of Lincoln... not nativist dog whistles'

McCarthy appeared to be on the other end of the debate.

"America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn't built on identity, race, or religion," responded McCarthy in a tweet that didn't directly name the America First Caucus.

America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’… https://t.co/EsVSyCfowH
— Kevin McCarthy (@Kevin McCarthy)1618605694.0

"The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles," he added.

McCarthy's criticism aligned with many of the reactions against the America First Caucus. He had previously defended Greene when she was criticized by Democrats over statements she made in the past supporting various conspiracy theories.

Dem congressman introducing resolution to expel GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from House



Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California announced Wednesday night that he will introduce a resolution calling for newly-elected Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to be expelled from the House of Representatives, citing reports of her "repeated endorsements of sedition, domestic terrorism, and political violence."

What are the details?

Gomez tweeted, "I don't need to explain why @RepMTG is a clear and present danger to Congress and our democracy. She did it herself. And she must go. I'm introducing a resolution to expel her from Congress immediately."

In a press release, the congressman wrote, "As if it weren't enough to amplify conspiracy theories that the September 11 attacks were an inside job and the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was staged, a string of recent media reports has now confirmed that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had previously supported social media posts calling for political violence against the Speaker of the House, members of Congress, and former President Barack Obama."

He argued:

Such advocacy for extremism and sedition not only demands her immediate expulsion from Congress, but it also merits strong and clear condemnation from all of her Republican colleagues, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Her very presence in office represents a direct threat against the elected officials and staff who serve our government, and it is with their safety in mind, as well as the security of institutions and public servants across our country, that I call on my House colleagues to support my resolution to immediately remove Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from this legislative body."

At the time of Gomez's announcement, Rep. Greene's name had already been trending on Twitter for hours after video went viral showing Greene accosting Parkland survivor and gun-control advocate David Hogg as he walked through Washington, D.C., in March of 2019—roughly one year after the mass murder that took the lives of 17 people and left several more injured.

.@mtgreenee, is this you harassing @davidhogg111 weeks after the Parkland shooting, that my daughter was killed in… https://t.co/WzP4WCaJM3
— Fred Guttenberg (@Fred Guttenberg)1611753995.0

Gomez did not make mention of Greene confronting Hogg, but pointed to several other instances of the congresswoman's past social media activity, such as when she "like a comment from 2019 that a 'bullet to the head would be quicker' than an election for removing Speaker Pelosi from office, and messages about executing FBI agents working for the 'deep state.'"

On Tuesday, CNN published a report detailing Greene's controversial messages, including a post where she suggested Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama would be hanged over the Iran Deal.

A commenter asked Greene, "Now we get to hang them?? Meaning H & O???," to which she replied, "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."

Greene called the CNN story a "hit piece," and issued a statement saying, "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. Especially the ones that CNN is about to spread across the internet."

The Republican from Georgia has only been in Congress for a few weeks, but already filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden. She has also been accused of following the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Parkland massacre students demand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation after she branded mass killing a 'false flag'



Student survivors of the Parkland, Florida, mass killing are calling on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to resign from Congress after she said that the massacre was a "false flag" to push for gun control.

Greene took to her Twitter account and cleared up her position on gun control and especially its role in schools.

What did she say?

According to a Wednesday report from BuzzFeed News, Greene in a 2018 Facebook post questioned the Parkland shooting.

In the post, she shared a news article about the pension of a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer. The officer in question did not intervene in the mass killing, which took the lives of at least 17 people and injured many more.

Responding to Greene's post, a commenter called Stacy wrote, "It's called a payoff to keep his mouth shut since it was a false flag planned shooting."

Greene responded, "Exactly Stacy!!"

Another commenter added, "Sounds like a pay off, doesn't it."

Greene responded, "Yes it does!"

What has been the response?

David Hogg, former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and March for Our Lives co-founder, tweeted, "Marjorie Greene should resign. If you spread conspiracies about mass shootings there should be no place for you in congress [sic]."

Marjorie Green should resign. https://t.co/ZR7eQi1sap
— David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him) (@David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him))1611078075.0
If you spread conspiracies about mass shootings there should be no place for you in congress.
— David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him) (@David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him))1611083370.0

He later tweeted directly at Greene — who has not responded to his remarks at the time of this reporting — writing, "Why did you call the shooting at my high school a false flag? 17 classmates and staff died — spreading conspiracies about this tragedy is disgusting."

@mtgreenee Why did you call the shooting at my high school a false flag? 17 classmates and staff died- spreading co… https://t.co/Xpnmh86e4M
— David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him) (@David Hogg 🐙 (He / Him))1611078229.0

Cameron Kasky, former student and March for Our Lives co-founder, told the outlet, "She should be removed. She should be punished. ... [But] it's probably not going to happen."

He added, "There's somebody literally making laws that denies the Parkland shooting. I mean, what the hell is next? It's inhuman what these elected officials are doing."

"Elected officials pushing Parkland conspiracies — this is not some symptom of the Trump era; this is just the Republican Party fundamentally. She'll get away with it. Of course she will. She's a Republican."

Fred Guttenberg, father of a teenage Parkland victim, wrote, "I know you have met Parkland parents. This is my daughter Jaime, she was killed that day. Do you still believe this? Why would you say this?"

.@mtgreenee, we have never met. It appears you think or at one time thought the school shooting in Florida was a f… https://t.co/6XVrXHdRGD
— Fred Guttenberg (@Fred Guttenberg)1611075438.0

Anything else?

Greene did not directly respond to the 2018 controversy, but instead shared a lengthy message about gun-free school zones and the absurdity of the student resource officer's stately pension.

"'Gun-free' school zones are a FAILURE. Laws that prevent legal ownership of firearms turn schools into targets," she wrote. "As someone who was personally locked in a classroom in 11th grade due to a fellow student who brought guns to our 'gun-free' school intent to [sic] kill others, I'm proud to say I'll cosponsor the Safe Students Act to repeal 'gun-free' school zone laws and allow Americans to protect our children."

She added, "I personally understand the fear as a student when there is no good guy with a gun to protect us from the bad guy with guns."

Greene later took aim at the school resource officer in question who did not intervene in the Parkland shooting.

"Scott Peterson allowed children to be left defenseless against an active shooter," she wrote. "When he was supposed to protect them, he was a coward and refused to go in. He allowed 17 people to die."

"Why in the world would he received such a lucrative pension after the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School?" she demanded. "It's sickening. The shooter should have never been allowed to set foot on campus and he should have been expelled long before he murdered people."

She concluded, "Our children are the most important people in our country and they should be protected by good guys with guns."

https://t.co/lVgIUjyUnJ
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸)1611090152.0