Greene heckles Democrats and they fire back on Capitol steps

Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) heckled House Democrats on the steps of the Capitol on Friday, leading to several heated verbal altercations with veteran Democrats that were in full view of the assembled media.   

Dozens of Democrats were assembled on the Capitol steps preparing to hold a news conference on their efforts to help women when Greene, known as MTG, began shouting at them for having just passed legislation to protect abortion rights, a response to a recent Texas law banning abortions.

At one point, Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), the Democratic Caucus vice chair who was standing near Greene, told her she was being “performative.”

“No, you’re performative,” she shot back.

MTG walks down steps and keeps heckling Dems. @RepPeteAguilar, Dems Vice caucus chair, tells her she’s being “performative.”

“No you’re performative,” she replies pic.twitter.com/DmVDzR7XfD

— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) September 24, 2021

Moments later, another member of leadership, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), was walking down the Capitol steps and encountered the scene. She immediately engaged Greene, lecturing her about her “lack of civility.”

“You know what,” Greene responded to Dingell. “Killing a baby up until birth is a lack of civility; it’s called murder.”

“You should try the basic thing you’re taught in church: Respect your neighbor!” Dingell said.

“Try being a Christian and supporting life …” Greene retorted.

“You try being a Christian!” Dingell interjected, repeatedly jabbing the air with her finger. “And try treating your colleagues decently!”

.@MTG and @RepDebDingell just got into screaming match on steps of Capitol after MTG heckled Democrats holding a press conf after passing legislation responding to Texas abortion law pic.twitter.com/Kq11xko04r

— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) September 24, 2021

Shortly afterward, Dingell sent out an email fundraising off of the exchange, saying Republicans such as Greene are going to keep “spreading misinformation and making attacks against Democrats’ agenda in Congress.”

“We know that women from Michigan get the job done, and today, Debbie stood up against a bully heckling her colleagues on the steps of the United States Capitol,” the email said.

For Greene, it’s just her latest confrontation with Democrats. 

In January, the conservative first-term firebrand and close ally of former President Trump got into an argument over mask-wearing with liberal Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) in a Capitol tunnel. Greene said Bush started it; Bush asked for her office to be moved away from Greene’s, citing her “team’s safety.” 

Then in May, Greene verbally accosted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), chasing her down a House hallway and repeatedly asking her why she supports antifa and Black Lives Matter, which she falsely labeled “terrorist groups.” Ocasio-Cortez raised security concerns with leadership after the incident.

That same month, a staffer walking with Greene told Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) he could take off his mask as he stepped outside the Capitol. Swalwell didn’t appreciate that; he chased down the staffer, got in his face, and told him: “You don’t tell me what to f—ing do!”

Greene’s critics say part of the reason she keeps picking public fights with Democrats is because she has no committee assignments. When Republican leaders failed to act, Democrats voted to boot her off both the Budget and Education committees for past social media posts endorsing violence against top Democratic officials and conspiracy theories that were antisemitic and racist.

—Updated at 2:19 p.m.