Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) cautioned MAGA-diehards who plan to protest against Donald Trump’s possible indictment after the former president repeatedly called on his supporters to take to the streets.
In a rare move, the MAGA-loving congresswomen split from Trump’s call for nationwide protests, worried that such events could be hijacked and turn violent.
“There are a lot of concerns about protests because of people like Ray Epps and Scaffold Commander,” Greene told The Daily Beast on Sunday afternoon, expressing worry about a repeat of a Jan. 6—which the Georgia congresswoman remains adamant was infiltrated by federal agents. “There are a lot of reasons to believe there were feds or fed assets instigating the riot at the Capitol on January 6th.”
At the same time, Greene told The Daily Beast that she firmly believes Trump supporters have the right to peacefully protest while making clear her objection to Trump protest’s lie with “federal agents [who] infiltrate political movements and attempt to incite political violence.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy similarly called for Americans to refrain from protesting, telling reporters during a House Republicans’ retreat on Sunday, “I don’t think people should protest this, no.”
Still, he was quick to defend the former president, adding immediately, “And I think President Trump, if you talk to him, he doesn’t believe that either.”
Previously, following multiple Trump Truth Social posts on Saturday, Greene called on her supporters to avoid protesting.
“We don’t need to protest about the Communists Democrat’s planning to arrest President Trump and the political weaponization of our government and election interference,” Greene tweeted, following Trump demanding “protests” occur in his name.
Since, Greene has echoed a growing sentiment that has begun to gain traction on the political right, which revolves around the theory that Trump indictment protests might be infiltrated with bad-faith actors.
“This could be a massive, nationwide setup to get more Patriots into prison,” one user on the pro-Trump, “The Donald” forum said Saturday. Similarly, right-wing pundit Jesse Kelly wrote on Twitter: “The last time Trump’s biggest fans protested on his behalf, he left them all to rot in jail without so much as a penny from him in legal fees.”
Additionally, on Sunday, the congresswomen doubled down on the idea that protesting on Trump’s behalf was something not in his supporters’ best interest.
“How many Feds/Fed assets are in place to turn protest against the political arrest of Pres Trump into violence?” she asked on Twitter.
The Georgia congresswoman later referred to the likely charges behind the possible Trump indictment—which reportedly revolves around alleged payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels—as that of “stupid fake charges.”
So far, there are only a handful of pro-Trump protests on the books, including one being promoted by failed Republican congressional hopeful Mike Crispi and another led by The New York Young Republican’s chapter, which is slated to occur in lower Manhattan.
Earlier this year, The Daily Beast reported that Greene is on the shortlist of potential vice presidential Trump picks for 2024.
“She’s been characterized as Trump in heels,” a Trumpworld source previously told The Daily Beast, adding that Greene and Trump speak “all the time.”
Despite being wary of protests, Greene does hope that Trump supporters show up in one place in large numbers: The former president’s upcoming rally.
“Where I think everyone should show up is in Waco, Texas, on Saturday,” she told The Daily Beast. “President Trump is holding a huge rally to Save America. We need to send a loud and clear message: Donald Trump is OUR PRESIDENT!”
