Republican senator blames the weather for his lack of comment on Marjorie Taylor Greene

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James Crump
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<p>Senator Tommy Tuberville meets with the media on 9 November 2020 in Washington, DC</p> ((Getty Images))

Senator Tommy Tuberville meets with the media on 9 November 2020 in Washington, DC

((Getty Images))

Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville claimed he was unable to comment on the controversy surrounding Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene - because severe weather has stopped him from reading the news.

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday evening, Mr Tuberville, who was sworn in as a senator in Alabama in January, said: “I haven’t even looked at what all she’s done.”

He added: “I’d have to hold back a statement on that. Travel in this weather it’s been a little rough looking at any news or whatever.”

Mr Tuberville, who alongside Ms Greene supported efforts to overturn the 2020 US election result while making false claims about election fraud, was seemingly referring to the large snowfall Washington, DC, has witnessed in recent days.

Ms Greene, who was elected as a congresswoman for Georgia in November, has been widely criticised over the past week after old social media posts resurfaced, in which she falsely claimed multiple school shootings were staged.

She also falsely claimed that “Jewish space lasers” were the cause of a fire in California that killed 85 people, while videos from 2018 were shared showing Ms Greene harassing David Hogg, a gun control activist and survivor of the Parkland mass shooting.

The congresswoman’s posts were widely condemned by Democratic politicians, but in recent days, Ms Greene has also been criticised by senior GOP figures.

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell described Ms Greene’s comments as “loony lies and conspiracy theories” that are “cancer for the Republican Party and our country,” while former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called her a “kook”.

Florida senator Rick Scott said Ms Greene’s claims about school shootings are “disgusting and wrong,” while Rob Portman of Ohio called her actions “totally unacceptable”.

Politico reported on Monday that House Democrats are preparing to remove Ms Greene from her committee assignments if Republicans do not take action against her.

House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, had “a conversation” with Ms Greene on Tuesday night where he asked her to denounce her comments and her support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.

She reportedly did not agree to do this, and Politico reporter Rachel Bade claimed that Mr Mccarthy is leaning towards taking her off the Education and Labor Committee.

“The consensus in the room, according to my reporting, is everybody agreed that she's probably going to have to come off Education and Labor,” Ms Bade said during an appearance on CNN on Tuesday.

Ms Greene has repeatedly attempted to dismiss the criticism of her comments, and tweeted yesterday that the controversy was part of a “witch hunt”.

She wrote: “Too bad a few Republican Senators are obsessing over me, instead of preparing to defend President Trump from the rabid radical left. Focus on ending the witch hunt. Do your job!”

The Independent has contacted Ms Greene for comment.

Read More

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