Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was heavily criticized after she posted a video in which she suggested two recent mass shootings—one during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois and another during a fireworks display in Monroe, North Carolina—are false flags “designed to persuade Republicans to go along with more gun control."
Greene suggested the proof lies in the fact one shooting took place "in a rich White neighborhood and the other at a fireworks display," flimsily suggesting these alleged false flag operations were designed to target events appealing to White Republicans.
She also made the false claim the shootings were staged because they didn't happen during "Pride Parades during the month of June," implying the shootings are somehow the fault of liberals or the LGBTQ+ community rather than the gunmen and their easy access to high capacity firearms.
You can hear her remarks in the video below.
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene suggests the two July 4th shootings, \u201cone in a rich white neighborhood and the other at a fireworks display\u201d are false flags \u201cdesigned to persuade Republicans to go along with more gun control.\u201d\u201d— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1657111962
Greene, who took the shootings as an explicit attack against "MAGA month," said:
"Now here's what I have to say... I mean, two shootings on July 4, one in a rich white neighborhood and the other at a fireworks display."
"It almost sounds like it's designed to persuade Republicans to go along with more gun control. I mean, after all, remember: we didn't see that happen at all the Pride parades in the month of June!"
"But as soon as we hit MAGA month, the month that we're all celebrating, loving our country, we have shootings on July 4."
"I mean, that's uh, you know... that would sound like a conspiracy theory, right? Of course."
"But what's the definition of a right-wing conspiracy theory? Well, by the way, it's the news that's just six months early."
There is no evidence the shooting in Highland Park—or any mass shooting—was a false flag operation.
The lone gunman who killed seven people and injured more than 40 others was identified as a 21-year-old White male who regularly posted violent and MAGA content on social media. He was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.
Authorities believe he planned the attack weeks in advance.
While no one has been arrested for the shooting in North Carolina—which did not result in any deaths or injuries—there is no indication the shooting was staged. Authorities collected fingerprints and recovered shell casings at the scene.
Greene was criticized for her irresponsible remarks.
\u201cThis video makes me literally sick. People like this don\u2019t lead with empathy and logic, they lead with lies and BS\nAlso, July is not MAGA month- we Dems also celebrate and have pride in our communities and families as well. The American Flag does not belong to any political party\u201d— Ken Mejia-Beal (@Ken Mejia-Beal) 1657122327
\u201cYou ma\u2019am, are a disgrace.\u201d— Dave Besseling (@Dave Besseling) 1657122265
\u201cI know MTG peddles misinfo like it's her job (...because it is), but it's still pretty wild to watch an elected official promote vile conspiracy theories about mass gun violence -- with a smug smile on her face\u201d— anya van wagtendonk (@anya van wagtendonk) 1657122894
\u201cThis woman is unbelievable. She is a little paranoid, a lot of stupid and a total projectionist. It is her group doing the shooting.\u201d— Becky Blaine (@Becky Blaine) 1657118674
\u201cFamilies are grieving stolen loved ones and @RepMTG is using their trauma to massage her main character syndrome. Cosplaying as a bigoted, morally bankrupt Sherlock Holmes for her YouTube startup.\n\nWhat an absolute disgrace.\u201d— Brandon Wolf (@Brandon Wolf) 1657121960
\u201cHow does a person wake up each day and purposely intend to be a despicable piece of garbage?\u201d— TB[21]12 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf51 (@TB[21]12 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf51) 1657122236
\u201cI've never been able to square this paradox inherent among this knuckle-dragging variety of conspiracist:\n\n1) The government is behind every act across the world; manipulating markets, engineering diseases, false flag operations et al\n2) The government is wholly incompetent\u201d— William W. Cummings (@William W. Cummings) 1657115637
\u201cI am embarrassed she is from GA.\u201d— \ud83c\udf3bMaelinda\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\udf3bMaelinda\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1657115658
\u201cHow is she allowed to blatantly lie, and smile while she is doing it?\u201d— ShanWG (@ShanWG) 1657115220
Greene—known as one of the most prolific conspiracy theorists in Congress—is only the latest to make erroneous claims about mass shootings in an attempt to link them to Democrats or "the deep state."
In May, Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, a Republican who has made a name for herself as one of former Republican President Donald Trump's more passionate apologists, sparked outrage after she claimed a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York was staged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
There is no evidence the FBI staged the shooting and Rogers—like Greene—offered nothing to support her false claims.
The actual perpetrator is a White 18-year-old man who is reported to have written a 180-page White nationalist manifesto released prior to the attack subscribing to the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory, which claims White European populations and their descendants are being demographically and culturally replaced with non-European peoples. The shooter drove over 200 miles to target Black people.
The shooter's manifesto dedicates significant time to criticizing mass immigration.
He had a racist slur written on his weapon and shouted some during the shooting, according to survivors. The shooter—who livestreamed the attack on Twitch—is shown in a viral video clip apologizing to a White man in a supermarket before sparing his life and continuing to shoot others.
