'Who put Marjorie Taylor Greene in charge?' Conservative media sours on far-right rep

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) flexes her muscles during a Bikers for Trump campaign event held at the Crazy Acres Bar & Grill on May 20, 2022 in Plainville, Georgia. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images).

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) is making herself almost as universally reviled by her fellow Republicans as she is by Democrats.

Conservative publications and websites are starting to turn on Greene, according to journalist Molly Jong-Fast. In her latest column for MSNBC, Jong-Fast observed that the Georgia Republican was roundly criticized by Fox News and the New York Post (both of which are owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch). Even far-right outlets are frustrated with Greene's stranglehold on the House. Pro-Trump outlet Newsmax recently ran an op-ed entitled, "who put Marjorie Taylor Greene in charge?"

"The more the likes of MTG crow about their purity, the more they drive the adults to the other side of the aisle," Newsmax commentator Debra Saunders wrote. "If, somehow, the far-right ousts Johnson and there's a vacancy, who would even want the job?"

READ MORE: 'Just throwing stuff at the wall': MTG losing GOP support as she threatens Mike Johnson

Right-wing media turning on the extremist congresswoman is likely due to her refusing to back down from threats to force House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) out via a motion to vacate. Greene's hostility toward Johnson hit a fever pitch after he shepherded through the passage of $95 billion in foreign aid money over the weekend, with the bulk of that money (roughly $61 billion) going toward Ukraine. Jong-Fast observed that Greene has started to become known as "Moscow Marjorie" by both liberals and conservatives.

"Monday, the [New York] Post published a column from Piers Morgan, the longtime Murdoch editor, calling Greene 'Vladimir Putin’s chief ‘useful idiot,’” Jong-Fast wrote. She quoted Howard Polskin, publisher of conservative media tracking website the Righting, who remarked that he was "surprised — pleasantly so" that the unflattering nickname stuck.

"Hopefully, that moniker will be an indelible stain on her reputation," Polskin told Jong-Fast.

Despite the backlash from conservative media, Greene's motion to vacate Johnson has support from other far-right Republicans, like Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky). If all Democrats join those three, then Greene would have the votes to oust Johnson.

READ MORE: 'Johnson is done': Greene now 'has the votes' after 3rd GOPer joins effort to oust speaker

Aside from just angering far-right media, Greene is also drawing the ire of other elected Republicans. On Tuesday, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), who is considered among the more institutionalist members of the Senate Republican Caucus, didn't mince words about Greene when asked about her on Capitol Hill.

"She is dragging our brand down," Tillis told CNN congressional reporter Lauren Fox. "I think she’s uninformed, she’s a total waste of time, and I’m embarrassed to have actually lived geographically in her district at one time before she was there."

Even if Greene brings her motion to vacate Johnson to the floor, it isn't likely that Democrats would vote alongside her to remove Johnson. House Democrats have consistently come to Johnson's aid in helping him pass government funding bills, and most recently, foreign aid. And should he be removed, it would likely paralyze the legislative branch for weeks, as the Constitution requires the House of Representatives elect a speaker before it can conduct other business.

Click here to read Molly Jong-Fast's column in full.

READ MORE: 'We'll protect him': Dems say they'll side with Johnson after MTG files motion to vacate

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