‘I’m Entitled to Get Answers’: Lawyer Asks Judge to Recognize Marjorie Taylor Greene as ‘Hostile Witness’

Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) testified under oath on Thursday in the potentially landmark disqualification hearing to determine whether or not a challenge to bar Greene from the November ballot over her role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is valid.

CNN notes that the hearing marks the first time a sitting member of Congress has testified under oath about the attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, an attack many argue was incited by the rhetoric of 2020 election conspiracy theorists like Greene.

Free Speech for People, a liberal campaign-finance reform organization, is behind the case, which is an attempt to use a Civil War-era provision in the constitution which bars sitting members of Congress who engaged in insurrection from running for reelection. Greene has been outspoken about the effort.

On Friday, wen pushed to confirm the intent behind her rhetoric, including various tweets presented in court, Greene dodged the questions.

“I don’t support violence of any kind,” Greene said in response to a question. “My words never ever mean anything for violence.”

“When you sent out this tweet, you wanted the people who read the tweet to know that it was your view that the voted for Mr. Biden for president were fraudulent, or some of them were, right?” asked the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the case seeking to disqualify Greene.

“That really wasn’t the purpose of that tweet,” Greene replied.

“Just asking whether when you sent this you were communicating to the people who read your Twitter account that you believed there were fraudulent votes for Mr. Biden and that your goal was to keep President in the White House?” the lawyer asked again.

Greene responded by saying her tweet was meant to communicate that she and her colleagues were seeking a U.S. Senator to join their objection to the 2020 election results. The lawyer pushed her again about whether or not she was making the charge of voter fraud in the election.

Greene went on to give a lengthy response regarding “tremendous evidence” she had seen of fraud in the election, to which the lawyer interrupted and asked Greene be sworn in under oath.

The judge noted she had been sworn in already to which the lawyer then asked the judge that Greene be acknowledged as an “adverse witness, a hostile witness.”

The judge agreed she is “an adverse witness and you can therefore cross-examine.”

“I would ask the court to remind the witness that in this posture she has to answer my questions, she can’t give speeches, is that fair?” the lawyer added, arguing ‘I am entitled to get answers.”

The judge agreed and then the defense attorney jumped in and said she does not have to answer “objectable questions.” The judge jumped in and asked the two lawyers to get back questioning, “this is not theater.”

In later moments from the trial Greene continued to evade questions and began answering that “she did not remember” when pressed on details about her interactions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot.

In a clip that quickly went viral on social media, Greene was asked if she thought “Pelosi is a traitor to the country.”

“I’m not answering that,” Greene shot back calling it “speculation.”

“You’ve said that haven’t you?” the lawyer pressed further.

“No, I haven’t said that,” Greene responded and then the lawyer asked, “put up exhibit 5 please.”

“Oh no wait,” Greene quickly jumped back in. Video of Greene calling Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a traitor and calling for her execution recently resurfaced after Greene complained to Capitol Police that comedian Jimmy Kimmel made a joke referencing Will Smith’s infamous slap and the actor potentially slapping Greene.

Watch the clip above via PBS News Hour on Youtube.

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