Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was ambushed outside of the Capitol in Washington on Thursday by a group of anti-Second Amendment activists.
As members of the anti-gun group Voters of Tomorrow approached her after a news conference, rather than deflecting or refusing to acknowledge the activists, Greene chose to engage with them on the fly, answering their verbal challenges and defending the right to bear arms.
One of the activists — later identified by Greene as Santiago Mayer, executive director of the anti-gun group Voters of Tomorrow — began by shouting at her, “You’re getting kids shot in school. You’re helping kids get shot in school.”
Greene answered, “No, I’m not. I’m protecting children. No, no, no, I’m not. You know what? You’re a coward, is what you are. You know what? The Second Amendment is — gun rights protect people.”
“How am I a coward?” Mayer said.
“You’re scared of guns. You’re scared of legal gun owners that want to protect their kids in schools,” she responded.
Greene suggested he “move to a country where they take away your guns.”
In a post to Twitter sharing the video, the congresswoman wrote, “These foolish cowards want the government to take away guns & the rights of parents to defend their children in schools. You have to be an idiot to think gun control will create a utopian society where criminals disarm themselves and obey the law.”
The activists repeatedly stepped in front of Greene and were asked by her communications director, Nick Dyer, to allow her to pass, The Washington Post reported.
Is the Second Amendment under attack?
“You can’t block members of Congress,” Dyer told one member of the group.
At one point, the congresswoman stumbled into and attempted to step around a woman identified by the Post as Marianna Pecora. It reported on the incident by saying Greene “appeared to kick an unarmed demonstrator during a confrontation.”
“‘Excuse me,’ Greene says while at first appearing to step on demonstrator Marianna Pecora’s foot,” the Post said.
“‘Excuse me,’ Greene says again, this time after appearing to intentionally draw back her foot and aim for Pecora’s leg.
“‘Oh my God,’ Pecora, 18, is seen saying in the videos.”
WARNING: The following videos contain graphic language that some viewers will find offensive.
These foolish cowards want the government to take away guns & the rights of parents to defend their children in schools.
You have to be an idiot to think gun control will create a utopian society where criminals disarm themselves and obey the law.
“Gun-free” zones kill people. pic.twitter.com/1T37HH8jEO
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) September 15, 2022
The activists showed up after a House Freedom Caucus news conference, the Post reported.
Mayer approached Greene and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, asking for a photo with her and claiming to be a “big fan.”
“But both members quickly recognized Mayer as an activist,” the Post reported. “Boebert pushed Mayor’s [sic] smartphone away and quickly exited. Greene instead jousted with the anti-gun group.
During a back and forth with an activist who claimed to be at a Boulder, Colorado, grocery store shooting, she said, “Americans should have the right to protect themselves. Gun-free zones are where people die. … Look it up, gun-free zones kill people.”
As Mayer continued to badger her, the congresswoman said, “You guys should move to some country where you can’t have guns. There’s plenty of them. The whole world is an all-you-can-eat buffet of governments. Move to one that fits your beliefs. But right here in America, we’re going to defend our Second Amendment rights.”
The video concluded with Greene saying, “I’m going to protect our Second Amendment. It’s great. You want to know why? Because I’ll always defend myself, I’ll defend my children, I’ll defend my home — especially from people like you.”
In a tweet responding to Mayer’s video of the exchange, the congresswoman noted that his bio indicates he’s a Mexican immigrant.
Just like I said, he’s a paid political activist, who just so happens to be blessed to have immigrated to our great country.
He should respect and be grateful for American freedoms, like our 2A, instead of trying to destroy them.
If he doesn’t like it, he can go back. https://t.co/avBbGejOaG pic.twitter.com/DY1ReCPJQS
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) September 15, 2022
“Just like I said, he’s a paid political activist, who just so happens to be blessed to have immigrated to our great country,” she wrote. “He should respect and be grateful for American freedoms, like our 2A, instead of trying to destroy them. If he doesn’t like it, he can go back.”
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