Greene Disavows Leaked Platform Pushing 'Anglo-Saxon' Traditions

GEORGIA — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene scrambled to distance herself over the weekend from a leaked caucus platform pushing “Anglo-Saxon political traditions” — even though her office said last week that she was helping to launch the caucus.

On Friday, Punchbowl News published a flyer promoting a new “America First” caucus that would campaign against “mass immigration,” which it said threatened the United States. Multiple media outlets reported that the caucus — a voluntary group of lawmakers with a common agenda — was being organized by Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, both Republicans.

“America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions,” according to the American First flyer. “History has shown that societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country.”

A spokesperson for Greene, Nick Dyer, confirmed to CNN on Friday that Greene was involved in America First and that it would be “announced to the public very soon.”

By Saturday, though, Dyer told CNN in an email that Greene is not “launching anything,” apparently because of widespread criticism from other Republicans, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy among the first to push back.

"America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’t built on identity, race, or religion," McCarthy tweeted Friday. "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans — not nativist dog whistles."

America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’t built on identity, race, or religion.

The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 16, 2021

McCarthy didn’t mention America First by name, but other Republicans did.

"The hatefulness of this statement is only surpassed by its ignorance of American history and values," Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado said of the flyer, as reported by Fox News.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, was even more blunt, tweeting that he was “completely disgusted." Kinzinger also argued that any Republicans participating in America First should have their committee assignments revoked.

“While we can’t prevent someone from calling themselves Republican, we can loudly say they don’t belong to us,” Kinzinger tweeted.

I believe anyone that joins this caucus should have their committees stripped, and the Republican conference should expel them from conference participation. While we can’t prevent someone from calling themselves Republican, we can loudly say they don’t belong to us. https://t.co/ULEF5MRyWf
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) April 16, 2021

Greene, who’d already been stripped of committee assignments in February after endorsing calls for violence against top Democrats, shot back at the “scum and liars in the media” who quoted the leaked platform.

“They released a staff level draft proposal from an outside group that I hadn’t read,” Greene tweeted on Saturday.

On Friday, sick and evil POS in the media attacked me with phrases I never said or wrote.

They released a staff level draft proposal from an outside group that I hadn’t read.

The scum and liars in the media are calling me a racist by taking something out of context.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) April 17, 2021

Meanwhile, other Republicans have been weighing their response to the platform. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said Friday that he’s “looking at” joining America First, according to The Hill, while Rep. Matt Gaetz has said he already plans to join.