Manu (00:00):
… busy for us all. Yes, for us all. Yeah. You all framed up, Eddie?
Eddie (00:05):
Anytime.
Manu (00:05):
Okay. Well, thanks for talking to me. I saw your post on X. You're obviously very concerned about the action the president authorized against Iran. And you say it's not consistent with the MAGA agenda. Why?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (00:19):
Well, I got elected on the exact same campaign promises that President Trump got elected on. We promised no more foreign wars, no more regime change. We promised an America first agenda where we're solving American's problems and trying to claw our way out of this $37 trillion debt.
(00:38)
Most Americans right now, they care about maybe next weekend's concert, a vacation they planned for the summer. I know my kids' generation who are 22, 25 and 27, this is a generation who it looks very bleak for the future. They can't afford houses, they can't afford insurance. They can't find good paying jobs. They can't afford to buy a car. And groceries cost too much money, going out to eat costs too much money.
(01:07)
And this is a situation that has me most concerned and that's where my focus lies. But that's also the same focus of President Trump. And that's what we promised. My district voted for me on those promises. They also voted for President Trump on those promises. And I've been very vocal. We don't belong in foreign wars. This is not our war. And it's perfectly okay for me to say that.
(01:32)
And I've also stated this, it's okay to have our own opinions. It's okay to disagree on policy. That's what Americans do and that's what Republicans do.
Manu (01:42):
The president said he would not get engaged in foreign wars. He said he would end foreign wars with his campaigning. Was this move, did it break his campaign promise?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (01:51):
I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I think what we just saw develop today where Iran had a response and attack on the base in Qatar, I think and we saw President Trump's measured response and his message on truth social is exactly the same messaging that we elected him for. He wants peace, he wants us to end, and he's going to urge Israel that it's time to end. And it absolutely is time to end.
(02:19)
All the wars need to end. What's happening in Gaza needs to end the attack on Iran needs to end. The war between Ukraine and Russia needs to end. All of these conflicts around the world need to end because the only people they hurt are the people in those countries. And it also hurts the ability for great countries to have great trade deals. And that has an effect on Americans as well.
Manu (02:41):
When you hear Republicans, including in the White House, say that, "This needed to be done to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, because that could threaten America," what do you say to them when they're warning that, "If you guys didn't act, if the US didn't act now, it would lead to more danger to Americans"?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (02:56):
Well, I have to preface with first, we haven't had a classified briefing yet. We're supposed to get one tomorrow. And I haven't been in a skiff and seen the information. But I will say this, we have been told these things over and over and over again for decades. We were told there was weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and there wasn't. And thousands of Americans were killed there and thousands of Iraqis were killed, many people were killed. We have people suffering today with terrible PTSD and lifelong injuries from these wars that we should have never gotten involved in. They were pointless.
(03:33)
And so many Americans are very wary when all of a sudden the news comes on and it starts saying why we're attacking a country. When most Americans are walking around, they're not thinking about Iran. They're not worried about a Houthis and they don't even know what a Houthis looks like. They're not worried about what Russia is doing. They're very much focused on their American life and their American problems.
(03:56)
And that's exactly what they should be focused on. And I think it's important to have this dialogue. It's critically important. We're $37 trillion in debt and we have a lot of problems to fix. And that's what I want to focus on.
Manu (04:10):
So it sounds like you're pretty skeptical about the claim that US was facing an imminent threat.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (04:16):
Again, we haven't had the classified briefing yet.
Manu (04:20):
Should there have been a vote in Congress before Trump took this action?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (04:23):
There wasn't a vote for Barack Obama before he bombed Libya and Syria and Iraq. There wasn't a vote for President Bush's many bombings and major war front. So no, the president by law can lead. He's the commander in chief.
Manu (04:41):
You are okay, you are fine with Congress not voting here.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (04:44):
I think constitutionally, after 60 days, it is something congress needs to look at. But let's be realistic. Congress isn't very good at doing very many things, Manu. And that's the truth. And here we are, we're fighting over certain parts of the big beautiful bill and trying to get an appropriations budget passed. So I don't know what a vote would look like here in Congress. I think President Trump is the leader. He is the president, he's the commander in chief and I support him.
Manu (05:14):
And just big picture. Do you think this alienates the MAGA base at all? You speak to the MAGA base a lot. Forbes, you are part of the MAGA base.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (05:23):
Yes.
Manu (05:23):
Does this move you know alienate the MAGA base?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (05:28):
I think what you're seeing is a very big divide in the MAGA base. And I think that's also something important to talk about. And I think it's generational. My parents' generation are baby boomers. The baby boomers get their news, they get it on television. My generation, I'm generation X, and millennials and my kids' generation in their 20s, they get their news mostly on the internet from blogs, videos and so forth. They also do a lot of research. They're skeptical. I'm skeptical too, of just believing whatever I see on television.
(06:01)
And Americans feel that way. We've been lied to too many times. And I think it's right to be skeptical, but I think you're seeing a major divide in Republican voters. Now I'll argue that my position would become more popular. I was one of the first people that was completely against the Ukraine-Russia war. I refused to fund any of it. I voted no to all of that. I was in the very, very tiny minority in the beginning. And now my voice, my opinion and what I said about that war is actually the majority of opinion for Americans.
(06:36)
If this war were to continue and we were to sadly see American troops coming home with un-flagged draped coffins, I think you would see Americans totally saying the same thing I'm saying. I hope that never happens. Again, I think President Trump has us on a path to peace and I think that's what he's working on. And I hope Israel does the same thing.
Manu (06:59):
Do you worry politically the divide here could hurt Republicans in the midterms?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (07:03):
I hope not, but I'll say this. I think Republicans need to earn Americans votes. I have no problem being critical of Republicans. And I don't think we're earning our votes in the midterm and that's on Congress. We need to be passing executive orders. We need to be cutting the spending and we need to pass the President's agenda. And I think that way we can win the midterms.
Manu (07:27):
This is the first time I've really heard you be critical of President Trump.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (07:30):
I'm not being critical of President Trump, Manu, you've heard me say over and over again as we've talked now and as Alex videoing with his camera, I've said over and over, I support the President. So any narrative against me would be a lie and that would be a smear against me. And it would be wrong to say that.
(07:46)
What I have said is I can disagree with the president. Currently in his administration, he's got plenty of people that have disagreed with him in the past. He's got Tulsi Gabbard. She ran against him for president in 2020. She's got RFK. He's got RFK. He ran against him in 2024. And there's many former Democrats that are supporters and donors, but that's what MAGA is. It's a collection of Americans that have come together and say, "America first."
Manu (08:20):
But you think he's listening to the neocons I suppose? That's what I gathered from your posts on X.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (08:21):
Oh, I think the neocons were beating the war drums really hard. And they were all over social media and all over TV. And they've been pushing. They would love to have more foreign wars. That's what they absolutely love. I'm completely against that. I'm unapologetic about saying that it's okay for me to disagree that with President Trump, that's perfectly fine.
(08:47)
Democrats right now are out protesting in the streets saying, "No kings." We settled that in 1776. We handled that. No more kings. President Trump is not a king and MAGA is not a cult. And I'm entitled to my own opinion. I can support the president at the same time as I say, "I don't think we should have foreign wars." And I can tell you right now, President Trump doesn't want to stay in a foreign war either.
Manu (09:11):
Have you talked to him at all about this [inaudible 00:09:14]?
Marjorie Taylor Greene (09:14):
He's been pretty busy.
Manu (09:15):
Yes. I appreciate the time. All right.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (09:16):
Yeah. You bet.
Manu (09:16):
Thanks a lot. All right.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (09:17):
Thank you. Yeah, we'll see you later soon.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Thanks, Manu.
Manu (09:18):
Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
