Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz and Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene clashed after he tried to take credit for her new House committee assignments.
Although Gaetz and Greene are usually politically aligned, the two have been on the outs since they took opposite sides in a recent right-wing rebellion that nearly denied the newly minted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy the coveted position.
McCarthy's failure to secure his party's backing strained the relationship between the two reactionary politicians and Greene went so far as to criticize Gaetz for his role in the rebellion, accusing him of not being a MAGA team player because "his first vote in Congress was for Paul Ryan as Speaker."
Greene landed cushy positions on the House Oversight and Homeland Security committees and Gaetz tried to take credit by lauding her in a tweet in which he assured his followers she would "do amazing work for the people on these key committees she has EARNED."
You can see Gaetz's tweet below.
\u201cBravo @mtgreenee! \n\nShe\u2019s going to do amazing work for the people on these key committees she has EARNED. \n\n\u201cRep. MTG of Gerogia is back on committee assignments now that Republicans have retaken the House and the Rep. Gaetz-led revolt has put some steel in McCarthy\u2019s spine.\u201d\u201d— Matt Gaetz (@Matt Gaetz) 1674061960
A noticeably displeased Greene did not accept Gaetz's congratulations, only thanking McCarthy and the GOP Steering Committee—composed of party leaders, selected committee leaders, class leaders and regional representatives—"for voting me on the committees I requested on the submission form most of us filled out."
Greene blamed Gaetz for Republicans being "weeks behind" on their legislative agenda after he "spent a week only getting MTV from 5 to 1," referring to the “motion to vacate” rule change McCarthy agreed to secure the votes of his far-right opposition that empowers any single member of Congress to force a vote to remove the Speaker.
Greene said she "look[s] forward" to her new committee assignments as "the leading MAGA voice in Congress."
You can see her tweet below.
\u201cThanks to @SpeakerMcCarthy & Steering for voting me on the committees I requested on the submission form most of us filled out.\n\nToo bad we\u2019re weeks behind after you spent a week only getting MTV from 5 to 1.\n\nAs the leading MAGA voice in Congress, I look forward to committees.\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1674065985
An undeterred Gaetz followed up with another tweet saying he is "thrilled" that the GOP's far-right faction secured the rule change that reverts to a "standard" before Nancy Pelosi was House Speaker.
He then praised Greene directly, saying "We the People are in better hands" with Greene on two committees that have vowed to hold "the corrupt Biden [administration] to account."
But Greene did not accept Gaetz's olive branch, noting that the "rules package did not change at all from Jan 1st to Jan 6th, except MTV went from 5 to 1."
She added:
"Literally anyone can read them online and see that. All substantial negotiations happened in conference [and] 5 families [Greene's nickname for the GOP] meetings before the 15 ballots starting on Jan 3rd."
You can see their interaction below.
\u201c@mattgaetz @SpeakerMcCarthy The rules package did not change at all from Jan 1st to Jan 6th, except MTV went from 5 to 1.\nLiterally anyone can read them online and see that.\nAll substantial negotiations happened in conference & 5 families meetings before the 15 ballots starting on Jan 3rd.\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1674065985
The Twitter exchange between the two GOP hardliners opened them both up to significant criticism.
\u201cHow did MTG earn them? Leading fellow traitors through Congress 1/5/21 so they could locate their targets to assassinate.\u201d— Charles Tucker (@Charles Tucker) 1674086230
\u201cYou're an idiot. Do the world a favor and disappear.\u201d— Melissa (TheBookN3rd) \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffb\ud83c\udfc8\ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffb (@Melissa (TheBookN3rd) \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffb\ud83c\udfc8\ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffb) 1674082647
\u201cAs was Hitler\u2019s Nazi Party, the #NaziGOP is comprised of PSYCHOPATHS (e.g., Trump & many GOP pols normalized by a complicit/failed MSM) +their psychotic human pets.\n\nThe COLLECTIVE goal of these gaslighting predators remains to create HELL via mayhem in every form.\n.@FoxNews\u201d— Jane (@Jane) 1674084321
\u201cYes, you go "Empty Greene". Prove those jewish lasers and 911 hoax. \n\nMake sure you tweet a lot. Comedians need more material.\u201d— itzadriheet (@itzadriheet) 1674085130
\u201cMAGA is imploding, you love to see it.\u201d— RealMayraFan (@RealMayraFan) 1674073968
\u201cHow can she do a great job for anyone when she believes in Jewish space lasers, that 9-11 was fake, that a plane didn\u2019t crash into the Pentagon, that Trump won the election, etc, etc, etc. She can\u2019t tell the difference between reality & fantasy.\u201d— mommy bear \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@mommy bear \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1674074147
\u201cAh yes, the battle of who is the most "MAGA" US House Rep\u201d— Alex Baltzegar (@Alex Baltzegar) 1674074160
\u201cThis whole thread is just a bad look for @RepMTG. Label her a swamp creature because she\u2019s turning.\u201d— @inghramtalks (@@inghramtalks) 1674086941
Greene is no doubt doing a personal victory lap since securing her spot on the committees given previous controversies that cost her committee assignments.
Greene, who has promoted violence against her political opponents, was stripped of her committee assignments in 2021 after she made antisemitic remarks and called for violence against Democrats.
While McCarthy ultimately won the speakership after 15 rounds of voting once he gave significant concessions to the far-right members of the House Freedom Caucus, there is currently no sign the feud between Gaetz and Greene will end any time soon.
When Fox News asked about their Twitter exchange, Gaetz said he is "a huge supporter" of Greene, referring to her as "a dynamic and inspirational leader in our movement."
Greene declined to comment.
