ATLANTA (AP) — It all happened so fast. Less than a week after President Donald Trump’s accusation Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene The Georgia Republican announced on January 5th that he will resign from Congress.
Greene’s resignation brings to an end a tumultuous five years in Congress. She was an outsider at first, but was briefly at the center of power during the reign of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Trump’s return to the White House could have heralded a new era of influence in Washington, but Greene’s simmering discontent led to a rift with the president.
Here’s a look at Greene’s career and some of the most notable stories from her eventful five-year career in Congress.
Where does green come from?
Greene had little involvement in politics until Trump ran for president. She and her husband had purchased a commercial contracting company from Green’s father. Green later opened a CrossFit gym in the Atlanta suburbs. But during the 2016 campaign, she started posting stories and videos online.
Her first comment was a stew of conspiracy theories. Green suggested that the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting was a coordinated attack designed to drum up support for new gun laws. In 2018, she supported the idea that the September 11, 2001 attacks were carried out by the US government. In a video filmed at the Capitol in 2018, she claimed that two Muslim women, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, were not “official” members of Congress because they used the Koran instead of the Bible during their swearing-in ceremony.
How did she get elected?
In 2020, Greene jumped into politics by participating in a crowded Republican primary in the battleground suburb of Atlanta, where she lived. But after the incumbent in Georgia’s heavily Republican 14th District in northwestern Georgia announced his retirement, Greene moved his candidacy to that district.
During the election campaign, Greene publicly I empathize with QAnon.a conspiracy theory involving a global cabal of Satan-worshiping cannibals, including U.S. government leaders, running a child sex trafficking ring. She eventually distanced herself, saying, “I got hooked on what I saw on the internet.”
Greene won the Republican nomination in the runoff, but the election was delayed after Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal withdrew from the race.
How was she received in Congress?
Some of Ms. Greene’s most incendiary statements, like her 2018 claim that the California wildfires were ignited by laser beams from space controlled by Rothschild bankers, were not made public until after she was elected.
The family has been the subject of anti-Semitic claims for years, which are often summarized as “Jewish space lasers.” Greene later said she had no idea the Rothschilds were Jewish.
The Democratic-led House expelled Greene from both committees just weeks into her first term, claiming she was being punished for her spread. Hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Eleven Republicans supported expulsion.
But even as she continued to provoke Democrats, Greene succeeded in raising millions of dollars in small donations while living in exile. For example, she and two other House Republicans sued House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after they were fined for refusing to wear masks on the House floor during the coronavirus pandemic.
If Republicans win a House majority in 2022, she will join California Republican McCarthy as speaker of the House. McCarthy returned Greene to her committee assignments and welcomed her into his inner circle.
Greene has often been at the center of drama with Democrats, including a spat with Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett and calling President Joe Biden a “liar” during the State of the Union address.
Why did Greene fall out with Trump?
While Trump was running for a second term, Greene was a constant cheerleader, often appearing with Trump at rallies in states such as Georgia.
However, they soon became separated. Ms. Green’s complaints date back to at least May, when she won’t run for senate He will face Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. Mr. Trump later claimed that he had sent Mr. Greene a poll showing she had “no chance” in the race.
Greene also decided not to run for Georgia governor, attacking the “good old boy” political system and saying it was endangering Republican control of the state.
She began taking positions contrary to Trump. Greene described Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide” against Palestinians and supported releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein. He also criticized Republican leaders over the recent federal government shutdown, saying they need a better plan to ease the burden of expiring health insurance subsidies.
Greene called herself “America first, America only,” suggesting that Trump is too focused on foreign affairs. As her criticism escalated, President Trump became fed up and said he would support her challenger in the primary.
After years of support, he declared Greene a “traitor.” A week later, she announced her resignation.
