North Carolina Republican Senator trashing Georgia Rep. Greene: “She is dragging our brand (GOP) down.”

Tensions have escalated among Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives in the last few months, largely due to the actions of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis recently expressed strong disapproval of Greene, which was highlighted after an audio recording was played on CNN. And if we judge by recent happenings, things are only about to get worse in the House as even House Speaker Mike Johnson is not able to unite the group.

How House Republicans got here

The Republican faction in the House is sharply divided into conservatives and moderates. Gaetz and Greene, staunch supporters of former President Trump, head the conservative bloc that often clashes with other Republicans over various issues and legislation. In February, this group was instrumental in defeating a House bill that sought to enhance border security by allocating federal funds for deploying thousands of troops to the southern border to stem illegal immigration.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis comments

Republican Senator Thom Tillis recently called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a “waste of time”, a bad leader, and a threat to the future of the GOP. CNN’s Erin Burnett played an audio recording of the senator trashing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene during her show on Tuesday last week. “I think she’s uninformed, she is a total waste of time,” Tillis says on the recording. “She is a horrible leader. She is dragging our brand down. She – not the Democrats – [is] the biggest risk to us getting back to a majority.”

Recent happenings

Greene has caused frustration among some of her party members by challenging Mike Johnson, the current House Speaker. Johnson assumed the role after Rep. Matt Gaetz led a contentious and largely unpopular effort to oust Kevin McCarthy, the previous Speaker. Gaetz initiated the move against McCarthy after the latter collaborated with Democrats to pass legislation that would prevent a government shutdown.

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The MAGA Republicans are the problem

Many traditional Republicans were incensed by the MAGA-driven upheaval, turning the House into a glaring symbol of discord and turmoil. This internal conflict left the GOP in disarray for weeks as they struggled to appoint a successor to McCarthy. In a similar vein, Greene has expressed dissatisfaction with Johnson for using the threat of government shutdowns as a tactic and for failing to block foreign aid bills, particularly those that include funding for Ukraine’s defense amid its conflict with Russia.

She wrote on the day of the vote that “Speaker Johnson proved today that the only border he cares about is Ukraine’s”.

Speaker Johnson proved today that the only border he cares about is Ukraine’s. https://t.co/C198x48eVr

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 20, 2024

In another post on X she wrote the following: “Zelensky thanks Speaker Mike Johnson (D-Ukraine) for sending $61 BILLION of your hard-earned tax dollars to fuel a foreign war. Johnson once again passed a bill with the help of Democrats while the majority of the Republican majority voted against it. Not only is Mike Johnson a traitor to our conference, he’s a traitor to our country.”

A political theatre

Despite the Republicans presenting a unified front during Gaetz’s campaign against McCarthy, it seems that Senator Thom Tillis is openly expressing his displeasure with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He is not alone in this sentiment. GOP Congressman Marc Molinaro was quoted by The Hill as saying that Greene’s penchant for political “theatre” must end. Additionally, reports suggest that even Donald Trump, a key figure in the MAGA movement, is growing impatient with Greene. Despite criticism from within her own party, Greene appears unfazed. In a discussion with Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser, she mentioned that the position of Speaker could be a “revolving door” for all she cared