On Friday afternoon, Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to Elon Musk's X social media platform to praise Donald Trump's current White House Press Secretary—and spread xenophobia.
Greene shared a post from a MAGA minion with a high follower count. The original post included a clip from a recent White House press briefing.
In addition to giving the current White House mouthpiece Karoline Leavitt kudos, Greene took exception to a Foreign Press Association member's accent.
French BFM TV's Washington correspondent, Sonia Dridi, had asked a question in the clip.
Greene posted:
"How about that accent from that reporter?"
"I think we need to throw out all the foreign press!"
"American media first!"
By Saturday, Greene's threat to oust the foreign press reached the target—Sonia Dridi.
Dridi is a foreign correspondent from France who has been based in Washington D.C. since 2015—six years longer than Greene, who was first elected in 2021. In addition to being a respected journalist, Dridi is an author of political biographies and has produced several award-winning documentaries.
Sharing Greene's post, Dridi wrote:
"Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks I should be thrown out of the press room because of my [French] accent."
Dridi also wrote another post in French for her fellow Francophones.
It translates to English as:
"Greene apparently did not appreciate my accent while I occupied the seat reserved for the few foreign journalists who are in our White House Foreign Press Assoc."
"She now suggests kicking the foreign press out of the newsroom. Ubuesque."
The term Ubuesque is a reference to a character in French pop culture—Père Ubu—from Alfred Jarry's 1896 play Ubu Roi. Referring to someone as Ubuesque is calling them a grotesque, cruel and cowardly character.
People wondered about Greene's opinion of other people with accents.
@artcandee/Bluesky
But most people just called out Greene's xenophobia and ignorance.
@georgieb/Bluesky
@brianspitler/Bluesky
And some wondered what might happen if the GOP latches on to Greene's latest grievance.
Greene has yet to respond to Dridi directly.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
