Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has clarified how her proposed “national divorce” might look, and it’s as disturbing as it sounds.
The far-right firebrand on Tuesday expanded on the divisive rhetoric that saw her condemned by many Democrats and even some Republicans over the long weekend. On Presidents Day, Greene tweeted “We need a national divorce,” calling for the country to “separate by red states and blue states.”
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Many critics interpreted her proposal as a call for secession, and she was widely criticized for using divisive and dangerous rhetoric. She appeared on the right-wing “Charlie Kirk Show” podcast Tuesday to explain herself.
In Greene’s estimation, a so-called national divorce would not bring a civil war but would instead give states more power to govern themselves. Under this system, Greene suggested, red states could temporarily strip Americans who move from blue states of the right to vote and could implement laws to openly discriminate against LGBTQ people.
“Well, if we have a national divorce, there’s no need for the Department of Education,” she said. “Red states and blue states would be in control of the education in each state.”
“They would not allow any type of gender lies being taught in their schools, LGBTQ woke teachers would be fired and not allowed to teach there,” she continued, adding that schools in red states “would allow parents to be able to choose the curriculum.”
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If Democratic voters opted to move interstate, Greene riffed, Republican states could potentially decide to temporarily strip them of a constitutional right.
“Once they moved to a red state, guess what? Maybe you don’t get to vote for five years,” she said. “You can live there, you can work there, but you don’t get to bring your values that you basically created … by voting for Democrat leaders.”
Civil war broke out in the U.S. in 1861 after an alliance of Southern states seceded over slavery. The war lasted four years and led to the deaths of more than 600,000 soldiers.
