U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., brought a Homeland Security Committee hearing to a standstill Wednesday when she went nuclear on U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., after the Democrat called her out for her “anti-police rhetoric.”
Swalwell displayed a “Defund the FBI” campaign marketing ploy from Greene, to support the accusation:
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
Swalwell had just concluded his remarks when Greene was recognized and she went for the jugular, “That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy. And everyone knows it!”
The comment was a reference to the Democrat falling for a Beijing honeytrap when he engaged in a romantic relationship with a suspected Chinese spy nicknamed Fang Fang.
There was a move to strike Greene’s words from the record by U.S. Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., and the committee chair, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, placed proceedings on stand-by to research the rules.
Marjorie Taylor Greene follows Eric Swalwell’s questioning of Mayorkas with, “That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy and everyone knows it.”
MTG laughs as fight breaks out over striking her comment from the record.
Full video… https://t.co/bH7kYrMzz2 pic.twitter.com/iBYnnuZl0I
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) April 19, 2023
Greene then instructed Goldman to be specific about which words.
“Everything that the gentlelady from Georgia said — accusations of an affair with a Chinese spy, those are engaging in personalities and those words should be taken down and the gentlelady should not be able to speak anymore in this hearing,” Goldman replied.
After pointing out that the request was not a valid motion, Greene said they will consider striking the words and began conferring with an aide. He also asked Rep. Greene if she would consider retracting her words.
“No, I will not,” she replied.
After a long delay, the chair eventually ruled in Greene’s favor and refused to strike her words.
The bad blood between the two lawmakers was boosted late last week when Swalwell suggested Greene had a history of siding with “traitors” in response to her comments defending Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was arrested for his alleged role in leaking Pentagon files.
McCarthy’s top lieutenant is siding with one of the biggest traitors America has seen. I’m sorry, Marge, being white, male, and Christian is not license to betray your country and put the lives of thousands at risk. But this wouldn’t be the first time she sided with traitors. https://t.co/4RZ0TpECmo
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 13, 2023
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