ATLANTA — Georgia Republican leaders are deciding whether to stand with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, (R) GA-14, after she appeared at a white nationalist event this past Friday.
Georgia Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker has not spoken out against her, but on Tuesday he did pull out of a rally that Greene will be hosting in Rome, Georgia on Saturday without comment.
Other state Republican leaders are mostly keeping silent as well — condemning white nationalists and what they stand for, but not criticizing Greene for participating in the event. She is a favorite of former President Donald Trump.
This is not the first time the Republican lawmaker has been infamously in the spotlight. Greene was permanently suspended from Twitter in January after consistent bouts of temporary suspension, for allegedly posting COVID-19 misinformation and posting false information about the elections.
She has also previously expressed support for the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, and has been criticized for a series of racist comments.
On Friday, Greene spoke at the America First Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.
AFPAC founder Nick Fuentes welcomed Greene in glowing terms in his address prior to her speech, praising her as “a fighter” who is working to change the system from the inside.
That’s when the crowd chanted her initials. Fuentes continued his opening address, bringing up Russia and Vladimir Putin.
"Can we give a round of applause to Russia?" Fuentes asked.
The crowd cheered, and chanted, “Putin! Putin! Putin!”
"Absolutely, absolutely," Fuentes responded.
Fuentes said “America is the great Satan,” exporting "transsexuals, Black Lives Matter, the gay pride flag" to the world.
"You know, being an American used to mean something, and now it means all this crap,” he continued.
Fuentes said the movement he and his followers are leading will build a new America.
“We are Christian, white men. And you know what Christian white men are great at doing? Building things,” he said.
Fuentes said he enjoys the attacks against him.
"They say, ‘he’s a white nationalist, he’s a racist, why won’t Republicans condemn him?'" Fuentes smiled and said, "Who are they writing these for? Nobody cares! We don’t care!"
Greene told the crowd she has empathy for them.
"Because you know what it's like to be cancelled, and that's why I'm here to talk to you tonight. I don't believe anyone should be cancelled," Greene said.
Greene then spoke of what she believed she and the people in the audience have in common as she outlined her agenda in Congress.
Since that conference Friday, the GOP has been divided on whether to criticize Greene.
Greene’s fellow Trump supporter, Georgia Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker, decided he would not attend Greene's gun rights rally on Saturday in Rome, which is in her northwest Georgia district.
When 11Alive asked Walker’s campaign office for an interview about his reasons, a campaign spokesperson did not comment. Instead, the spokesperson sent an email with a link to a tweet that was posted by an Atlanta talk show host, who announced Walker’s decision without explaining it.
Republicans outside of Georgia have been quick to condemn both Greene and Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, who also participated in the event.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called their involvement "appalling and wrong."
On CNN, Republican Senator Mitt Romney said, “Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, I don't know them, but I've got morons on my team. And I have to think anybody that would sit down with white nationalists at their conference was certainly missing a few IQ points."
Former Georgia Senator David Perdue, another Trump Republican who is running now for Georgia governor in the May primary against incumbent Brian Kemp, told 11Alive on Tuesday he will attend Greene's rally on Saturday.
"Look, I don't sanction what happened (in) that meeting last week,” Perdue said. “I wasn't there. I've made my position very clear about Putin. I think he's a thug and a murderer. And this is not about Putin. This meeting I'm going to is all about the Second Amendment."
The Floyd County GOP in Rome posted a note on its Facebook page, stating the group is aware of the congresswoman’s attendance at AFPAC. The message went on to condemn racist speech, and support inclusiveness, but did not comment on Greene being part of the AFPAC event.
11Alive has been working to contact the Georgia GOP, but as of Tuesday night there was still no response about Greene and the white nationalists.
Greene has since lashed out at who she describes as "the atheist media" and "left-wing politicians." In a written statement, she used words describing the members of AFPAC that she did not use when she spoke to them Friday.
"The Pharisees in the Republican Party may attack me for being willing to break barriers and speak to a lost generation of young people who are desperate for love and leadership," she said in the statement. "But I won’t abandon these young men and women, because I believe we need to do better by them."
"I won’t cancel others in the conservative movement, even if I find some of their statements tasteless, misguided or even repulsive at times. I encourage them to seek wisdom, and apologize to those who have been hurt by their words, as I’ve had to do. Our faith calls for charity and forgiveness,” she continued.