Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greeneis responding to criticism after she seemingly confused “gestapo,” Nazi Germany’s secret police force, with “gazpacho,” a Spanish soup meant to be served and eaten chilled.
The controversy — the latest for the polarizing Georgia Republican — bubbled up online on Wednesday when Greene, 47, in an appearance on right-wing network OAN, said without evidence that House SpeakerNancy Pelosiwas overseeing a secret effort to somehow “spy” on lawmakers.
“Not only do we have a D.C. jail — which is a D.C. gulag — but now we have Nancy Pelosi’s gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives,“Greene said.
Footage of the remark was widely shared on Twitter, with many of Greene’s critics poking fun at the lawmaker’s slip of the tongue.
In a statement sent to PEOPLE, Greene responded to the criticism with aSeinfeld"Soup Nazi” reference, saying: “No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash.”
Since being elected in 2020, the freshman lawmaker — a loyal supporter of former PresidentDonald Trumpwho has alleged thatJoe Biden"lost” the election — has made courting controversy part of her political brand.
Prior to taking office last January, somefellow GOP membersin the House of Representatives told PEOPLE they were wary of working with her. One former Republican warned: “If you stick your toe into crazy, it could infect the whole body.”
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.Dustin Chambers/Getty
Since taking office last January, she hasamassed nearly $50,000 in finesfor not wearing a face mask on the floor of the House, amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.
She’s also previously been known forperpetuating baseless conspiracy theorieson social media, including supportive statements about the far-right “QAnon” movement. She has since said she regrets those past beliefs and last year wasstripped of her committee assignmentsdue to her embrace of conspiracies.
Last June, she was heavily criticized after comparing mask wearing during the pandemic to what Jews experienced during the Holocaust, ultimately arranging an apology event to say she was “truly sorry” for the remarks.
In January, her personal Twitter account waspermanently bannedafter she repeatedly violated the social network’s COVID-19 misinformation policy. Her congressional account still remains active.
source: people.com
