In what would be a perfect pairing of of GOP loons, Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene is rumored to be gunning to be be Donald Trump's running mate in 2024, two people familiar with the congresswoman’s ambitions told NBC News.
"This is no shrinking violet, she's ambitious — she's not shy about that, nor should she be," said Steve Bannon, the former top Trump aide who hosts the War Room podcast. "She sees herself on the short list for Trump's VP. Paraphrasing Cokie Roberts, when MTG looks in the mirror she sees a potential president smiling back," he added.
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The second source advised Greene previously and said her "whole vision is to be vice president." According to NBC News, the source also has ties to Trump but spoke on the condition of anonymity, noting that Greene is likely to be on Trump’s shortlist.
Greene has not confirmed her interest in being vice president, so these comments are speculation. What is known is that Mike Pence will certainly not be Trump’s running mate again. The former vice president had a falling out with Trump after the 2020 election results.
Trump is also the only announced 2024 candidate for president in either party; it seems as though he took the leap because of the fear that others, like Ron DeSantis, were being floated as candidates.
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Others also noted that Greene’s intentions to run for vice president would also explain why she has been making efforts to mend ties with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the newly elected speaker of the House. NBC News noted that Greene is one of the House’s most prodigious fundraisers. She seems to be trying to rebuild her reputation as an influential figure in the GOP, despite all the issues she’s had with other lawmakers.
In the 2022 midterm election cycle, she collected almost $12.5 million in donations, placing her in the top 10 of all House candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics's Open Secrets tally.
"She's both strategic and disciplined — she made a power move, knowing it would run up hard against her most ardent crew," the second source said. "She was prepared to take the intense heat/hatred short-term for the long-term goal of being a player."
In February 2021, Democrats voted to remove Greene from legislative committees as punishment for "conduct she has exhibited" impacting other lawmakers.
At least 11 Republican moderates also joined Democrats in voting to strip her of seats on the Budget Committee and the Committee on Education and Labor. McCarthy, however, stood by Greene at the time.
Greene actually has credited Trump for her relationship and allyship with McCarthy, who recently told a friend he would “always take care of her.”
“I will never leave that woman,” McCarthy told a friend, according to The New York Times. “I will always take care of her.”
Given Greene’s horrendous comments and open support for conspiracy theories including those on QAnon and Jewish-controlled “space solar generators” being responsible for destructive wildfires, any support from well-known politicians is notable.
Still, McCarthy has openly expressed his respect and support for Greene.
“If you’re going to be in a fight, you want Marjorie in your foxhole,” McCarthy said, according to the Times. “When she picks a fight, she’s going to fight until the fight’s over. She reminds me of my friends from high school, that we’re going to stick together all the way through.”
While Greene was removed from her committee assignments almost two years ago, last week McCarthy assigned Greene to the Homeland Security and Oversight committees, The Guardian reported.
Greene told the Times: “People need to understand that it isn’t just me that deserves credit. It is the will and the voice of our base that was heard, and Kevin listened to them. I was just a vehicle much of the time.”
In addition to speculating on whether she plans to run for vice president, many were interested to know if she could even do so while running as a House candidate.
According to Georgia rules on running for two offices, Greene can run for both offices. A report by OLR Research confirms that while some states prohibit a candidate from running for the offices of president or vice president and member of Congress in the same election, Georgia does not.
Greene has not confirmed whether she plans to make a bid for vice president, but it is certainly a scary thought. Her actions and advisers seem to indicate she plans to, so now it’s just a waiting game.
Election season is already here, and it's already off to an amazing start with Democrats' huge flip of a critical seat in the Virginia state Senate, which kicks off this episode of The Downballot. Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard dissect what Aaron Rouse's victory means for November (abortion is still issue #1!) when every seat in the legislature will be on the ballot. They also discuss big goings-on in two U.S. Senate races: California, where Rep. Katie Porter just became the first Democrat to kick off a bid despite Sen. Dianne Feinstein's lack of a decision about her own future, and Michigan, which just saw veteran Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announce her retirement.