Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) repeatedly called CNN anchor Jim Acosta a “liar” and accused him of “harassing” her on Thursday for asking questions about her now-infamous “Marshall law” text.
CNN reported this week that just days before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, the MAGA congresswoman texted former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and urged him to tell outgoing President Donald Trump that several GOP lawmakers were calling for martial law following the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall [sic] law,” she wrote. “I don’t know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”
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Acosta confronted Greene, who already told Fox News on Wednesday night that she couldn’t “recall” advocating for martial law or even sending the text, outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.
“Did you send a text asking for the president to declare martial law? Did you do that?” asked the notably pugnacious reporter, who now hosts a weekend CNN show.
“I don’t recall those being my text messages,” the firebrand lawmaker shot back. She then wondered aloud if Acosta had read the text before accusing him of “lying” about its contents.
“Why don’t you be honest?” Greene groused. “You’re just another one of those liars on television. And people hate it, they hate it. They can’t stand the liars on television.”
After Acosta began reading the message in question, the pro-Trump congresswoman stopped him when he reached the “I don’t know on those things” portion of the text.
“Wait. Excuse me. Stop! ‘I don’t know on those things.’ Is that what it says?” Greene exclaimed. “Why don’t you tell that story?”
At the same time, while insisting that the message showed she wasn’t directly recommending Trump declare martial law to prevent a Biden presidency, she continued to deny that the text messages were even hers.
And then, of course, she went back to blasting Acosta.
“You’re lying. You’re a liar. You know why people don’t like you? Because you’re a liar. Why do you want to lie on television for your viewers,” Greene shouted.
“I’m not trying to lie,” the CNN anchor replied.
“You’re accusing me of something and then when you read the actual words it tells another story,” the Republican firebrand fired back. “It tells the truth.”
Eventually, Greene had enough of Acosta’s questions and pivoted to claiming she was a victim of harassment.
“No, we’re done! Stop harassing me! Stop harassing me! Stop harassing me,” she yelled, prompting Acosta to say he was just trying to ask her some questions.
“You’re not. I didn’t give you permission to,” Green seethed as she quickly walked away.
While Greene is alleging that a mainstream news reporter harassed her because she didn’t give him “permission” to ask her questions, Greene herself has been accused of harassing others in public. Before she was in Congress, she infamously trailed Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg in 2019 while loudly berating him for his views on gun control.
