Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) grabbed headlines once again with a fiery exchange with Alex Lawson, executive director of the progressive group Social Security Works.
The heated confrontation occurred outside a meeting where Greene was set to discuss recommendations for President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Describing the encounter as a confrontation with a “Democrat PAC operative,” Greene later emphasized her refusal to bow to what she called a “political ambush.” Lawson had attempted to pressure Greene into pledging to rule out cuts to Social Security and Medicare, which she dismissed as a publicity stunt aimed at creating “Democratic attack ads.”
The exchange followed President-elect Donald Trump’s recent assertion during a Meet the Press interview, where he promised that his administration would improve government efficiency without making cuts to federal entitlements such as Social Security or Medicare.
“He’s funded by a Democrat PAC, donates 100% to Democrats, is only here to make…” Greene said of Lawson as he approached, leading him to respond: “We’re bipartisan.”
“No, you’re not. We looked you up. You are 100% funded by Democrats. You donate to Democrats. You’re out here asking bullsh*t questions,” the Georgia Republican responded.
“This is a mailing from… This is Donald Trump,” Lawson said, holding up a piece of paper.
“You’re only one-sided. You don’t care about the American people,” she responded, grabbing the paper and tossing it aside.
“President Trump, we all campaigned on protecting senior Social Security. You can’t lie about it. See, this is your political agenda. We don’t care… You’re not media,” she added.
“That’s Donald Trump’s mailing,” Lawson replied.
“No, this right here is for Democrat ads to attack Republicans… That’s what your agenda is,” she said.
“It’s really simple,” said Lawson.
“No, it’s not simple… You’re a liar,” Greene snapped, leading Lawson to ask if she would “take the pledge” to protect Social Security and Medicare and not move to cut either program.
“I don’t need to take a pledge because we’ve already done that all year long. And guess what? The sad story for you is the American people elected Trump, his agenda, and Republicans to lead the country because you guys suck so bad,” Greene added before walking off.
Following the confrontation, Greene took to X to discuss the encounter. “Democrat PACs are lurking in the halls of Congress trying to do ‘gotcha’ interviews with Republicans. I wasn’t having it,” she wrote, doubling down on her description of Social Security Works as a partisan operation.
WATCH:
Democrat PACs are lurking in the halls of Congress trying to do “gotcha” interviews with Republicans.
I wasn’t having it. pic.twitter.com/oLSeLLmHBL
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) December 17, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, revealed this week that he plans to use the beginning hours of his presidency to pardon people convicted of participating in the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, begin deportations of illegal immigrants, and increase oil production.
During an interview with Time magazine, Trump said the pardons would go to “nonviolent” people.
“We’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office. A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” Trump said about pardons in Jan. 6 cases.
Trump’s comments came during an in-depth conversation on Nov. 25 that was part of the magazine’s selection of Trump as its “Person of the Year.”
On foreign policy, the president-elect criticized President Joe Biden for letting Ukraine use U.S.-made weapons against some targets in Russia. He called this a worsening of the fighting that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in full in 2022. He suggested that efforts to end the war could intensify once he returns to office.