Donald Trump isn’t right about much, but he seems to have been correct when he said his fans would get sick of winning, because they’ve really taken a lot of L’s over the past few years. And few seem to have failed as much as Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The most recent G.O.P. loss is their doomed attempt to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. As per NPR, the Republicans complained that Mayorkas had shown a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” when enforcing border laws, leading to a “breach of public trust.”
However, thanks to having a House majority that’s as small as Trump’s hands, they were not able to push the impeachment through, losing the vote 216-214 thanks to four members of the G.O.P. voting no. The defectors were Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, and Blake Moore of Utah, the latter of whom changed his vote as a procedural move. Democrats showed the fight that has often been missing in their politics in recent years, with Congressman Al Green of Texas voting while in hospital scrubs, having just come from emergency surgery.
Some Republicans, like Steve Womack of Arkansas, had the foresight to point out that the bill might not pass, which would add more weight to the already hefty theory that the American right simply cannot govern. He stated:
“It’s hard to sit there and see it, you know, I mean, it’s tough. We’re in a difficult spot right now. If we whipped, we need a better whip. I’m not talking about the person in the job. I’m just saying the whip count. We need to know exactly where we are and we need to be careful not to get out ahead of our skis and put something on the floor that we don’t have certainty on.”
McClintock, who voted no, went even further, saying that the claims “fail to identify an impeachable crime that Mayorkas has committed” and “stretch and distort the constitution.” Considering Trump is currently trying to argue he should be immune from prosecution, stretching and distorting the constitution seems like it’s part of the modern Republican playbook rather than an aberration.
Despite all the evidence and arguments from colleagues on her side of the aisle, Greene was her usual bullish and incorrect self when asked about her party’s failure. She told CNN that she didn’t “think it’s a failure at all,” which is a funny way to describe a failed vote.
However, that’s not all the Georgian representative said. She was also quick to aim her ire at her Republican colleagues who voted against the impeachment articles, implying that their constituents would take umbrage at the scuttled vote:
“I’m sure they’ll hear from their constituents. I’m sure they’re probably hearing from them already, but I think they should listen to them.”
She also posted their names and constituencies on various social media sites.
Far-right movements are prone to eating their own, so it’s not too surprising to see Greene turn on her fellow red members of Congress. Despite Trump’s unassailable popularity among the Republican base, there are still many members of the party who find him (and his sycophantic fan Greene) too extreme. While they are certainly losing the battle for the soul of the party (as evidenced by Nikki Haley’s failure to touch Trump in the ongoing primaries), they are clear-sighted enough to see that polling and demographics are pointing to a large Democratic win that could put their party out of power for generations.
Greene has always been combative and bullish, and despite her energies often being used on the very worst movements and ideas, there’s no doubting she can energize her rabid fanbase. Although we’re by no means political strategy experts here, we do think it’s fair to say that turning against your own party in an election year probably isn’t the best strategy for securing a win. But, then again, beign in opposition means that Greene and her ilk can be as ridiculous as they want and not face any real consequences for their failures, especially if they are in a seat that’s redder than Mars.
Despite all of this saber-rattling, this week Republicans rejected a bill out of hand that would have strengthened border security, only adding to the perception that they are playing political theater rather than trying to get things done. So, really, this is a fitting end to a bruising few days for the G.O.P.
