During a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, was formally silenced by the House committee after making accusations against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Greene, known for her controversial statements in the past, had accused a Democratic member, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, of having an extramarital affair and also called Secretary Mayorkas “a liar.”
The first remark that caused backlash came when Greene’s turn came to question Mayorkas. She responded to criticism from Swalwell, who had displayed a poster with Greene’s face on it depicting a defund-the-FBI campaign. Greene retaliated by accusing Swalwell of having a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy, a claim that Swalwell has repeatedly denied and for which the FBI found no evidence.
“That’s from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy, and everyone knows it,” said Greene.
Watch the fiery exchange below:
Eric Swalwell was removed from the Intelligence Committee because he had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy.
But he stills makes all kinds of ridiculous accusations every day in Congress about me, my colleagues, and President Trump.
We all know it’s true, Eric Swalwell… pic.twitter.com/LKgvGB46Ov
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 19, 2023
Democrats immediately moved to strike Greene’s words, citing House rules about making attacks based on personality, but Greene refused to withdraw her remarks and Committee Chairman Mark Green of Tennessee denied the motion.
Minutes later, Greene turned her attention to Mayorkas and accused him of failing to prevent the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Mayorkas responded by assuring her that the government was actively fighting against it, to which Greene yelled, “You’re a liar! You are letting this go on, and the numbers prove it!” Once again, Democrats moved to take down Greene’s remarks, and once again, she refused to withdraw her comments.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the panel’s ranking Democrat, appealed the ruling to allow Greene’s accusations to stand, stating that he was appalled that such accusations were aired in a committee hearing. However, the appeal failed, and Greene remained silenced by the committee.
Greene’s behavior during the hearing was met with bipartisan criticism, with some Republicans also expressing discomfort with her accusations and language.
