House

Former GOP lawmaker says party should denounce Marjorie Taylor Greene

Former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) said Thursday that the GOP should condemn Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) over her promotion of far-right conspiracy theories sooner rather than later.

“I do think that Marjorie Greene will be eventually denounced. That’s why I think they should pull off the Band-Aid now,” Comstock said on Cheddar on Thursday. “She’s shown no remorse. Just yesterday … she was attacking [House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy [R-Calif.] himself. So his trying to help her try to get out of the cult … really isn’t working.”

Comstock acknowledged what she said were legitimate GOP process concerns with a Democratic majority having the power to remove Republicans from committees, “but I think this is so extreme. That is why I think you would have bipartisan support for kicking her off her committees today.”

The House is set to vote Thursday on whether to remove Greene from her committee assignments. Greene said in an interview Wednesday that she expects to lose her committee seats, but cast the move as helpful to allow her more time to campaign for Republicans in the 2022 midterms.

“I hope in her district, someone will stand up to her to run against her,” Comstock said, suggesting that numerous voters in Greene’s heavily Republican district “have buyer’s remorse because they’re embarrassed by her.”

“In the meantime, there may be action to actually expel her … there certainly can be ethics hearings,” Comstock added. “She does not represent the future of the party, she is a fringe, kook conspiracy theorist.”

Comstock, who lost her seat in 2018 to Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), also previously called for Republican members of Congress to back the impeachment of then-President Trump in January.

Greene has come under fire for her support of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory as well as suggesting multiple school shootings and the Sept. 11 terror attacks were staged, and for “liking” Facebook comments calling for the assassination of prominent Democrats. She reportedly received a standing ovation from Republican colleagues after apologizing Wednesday.