During a congressional hearing on the topic of "left-wing organized violence," Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, notorious for her conspiracy theories, attempted to question a witness but found herself facing an unexpected response.
Greene began by mispronouncing the name of the witness, Amy Spitalnick, a senior adviser on extremism at the human rights organization Human Rights First.
Greene then went on to suggest that abortion providers are the true "White supremacists" before launching a personal attack on Spitalnick.
You can see the video of their exchange below.
\u201cRep. Greene (R-GA): \u201cIs babies being murdered in their womb funny to you?\u201d\n\nWitness: \u201cWhat\u2019s not funny are the Black people, and Hispanic people, and Jewish people, and Muslim people who have been murdered \u2026 by white supremacists.\u201d\n\nGreene: \u201cMurder is not just for minorities!\u201d\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1684269281
In an attempt to provoke a reaction, Greene asked:
"You think this is funny, Miss Spitalnick? Is this funny to you? Is babies being murdered in the womb funny to you, because you're smirking and laughing at me right now."
To Greene's surprise, Spitalnick responded with a serious and poignant answer, shifting the focus to the real threat of White supremacist violence.
She highlighted the victims of such violence, stating:
"What's not funny are the Black people, Hispanic people, Jewish people, and Muslim people who have been murdered in synagogue, in church, in supermarkets, in mosques, by white supremacists."
Seemingly unfazed by the response, Greene tried to deflect the conversation by claiming that all races face murder, ignoring the context and significance of addressing White supremacist violence:
“Are you aware that all-color people are murdered?"
"That is a fact, that every single color person has been murdered. That’s not unusual. It’s not just that people of color are murdered, White people are murdered too.”
During the hearing, Greene didn't stop at attacking abortion providers. She also targeted transgender individuals, making baseless claims about "trans terrorism" motivating mass shooters and expressing offense at the term "cisgender."
Spitalnick later described her encounter with Greene and other extremist lawmakers as "appalling," highlighting the disturbing nature of Greene's rhetoric and behavior.
\u201cI just finished testifying at a nearly 3-hour House Homeland Security hearing that right-wing members like MTG used to normalize bigotry and hate against trans people and downplay white supremacist violence \u2014 under the guise of addressing \u201cleft wing violence.\u201d It was appalling.\u201d— Amy Spitalnick (@Amy Spitalnick) 1684271766
Many have criticized Greene while praising Spitalnick's measured response.
\u201cAmy Spitalnick apparently pissed off @mtgreenee when she laughed at one of MTG\u2019s asinine statements and then proceeded to school her.\n\nhttps://t.co/lhgjW6WSEF\u201d— OldAsDirtRN FNP (@OldAsDirtRN FNP) 1684281294
\u201c#MadMarje appears to have had a bad day yesterday. The response from Amy Spitalnick is far more to the point.\nhttps://t.co/nYjmM9Gb9G\u201d— Nitrous Oxide \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Babysitting TFG (@Nitrous Oxide \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Babysitting TFG) 1684316260
\u201cWe are so fortunate as a Jewish CRC field that @theJCPA has found a leader in @amyspitalnick who can go toe-to-toe - calmly, rationally, nimbly, coherently & with moral clarity - with extremists like #MTG, in defense of the basic civil rights of all Americans.\u201d— Jeremy Burton #\ud83d\udfe6 (@Jeremy Burton #\ud83d\udfe6) 1684327193
\u201cI like how the witness explained this to MTG in the same tone I use talking to my dog\u201d— Kevin M. Kruse (@Kevin M. Kruse) 1684327197
\u201cOne of the many incredible moments in @amyspitalnick\u2019s testimony yesterday.\n\nIf you want a three-hour glimpse into what mainstreaming extremism in 2023 looks like, go watch. It was all on display. \n\nSo glad Amy was there to respond and uphold the mantle of human rights.\u201d— Liz Yates (@Liz Yates) 1684320851
\u201cGrateful as always for @amyspitalnick fighting extremism and speaking truth.\u201d— Stephen Miles (@Stephen Miles) 1684334214
\u201cAmy Spitalnick is my newest hero.\n\nhttps://t.co/ifCEccu9s7\u201d— Rebecca Black (@Rebecca Black) 1684330765
\u201c\ud83d\udce2FACT: Every single murder by extremists in 2022 was committed by a right-wing extremist. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.\u201d— House Homeland Security Committee Democrats (@House Homeland Security Committee Democrats) 1684287600
Greene has faced regular criticism for aligning herself with White supremacists, at one point addressing the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC), a known gathering for White supremacists.
Greene has feigned ignorance, insisting that her detractors are "bought and paid for" by China and other sources she could not publicly ascertain.
In addition to her extremist positions, Greene has propagated baseless conspiracy theories about mass shootings, even suggesting that some of these tragic events may have been staged.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram