Marjorie Taylor Greene said she is not launching 'America First' caucus and that she had not read the proposal, following backlash from GOP
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is not not launching an "America First" caucus, her spokesperson said.
- It's a reversal from a day prior and follows condemnation from other Republicans.
- Greene said she had not read the proposal that emphasized "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is not launching an "America First" caucus and said she had not read the document shared by Punchbowl News on Friday that emphasized "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."
This is a reversal from a day prior, when a spokesperson for the Georgia Republican told CNN in a statement to "be on the look out for the release of the America First Caucus platform when it's announced to the public very soon."
On Saturday, the same spokesperson, Nick Dyer, told the outlet Greene is not "launching anything" and the document that was released was "an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved."
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Greene attacked the media, saying "they released a staff level draft proposal from an outside group that I hadn't read."
Rep. Paul Gosar, who Punchbowl News reported was also behind the proposal, also released a statement saying he had no prior knowledge of it prior to reading about it in the news on Friday.
The proposal in question sparked outrage from Democrats and Republicans. It said the caucus would "follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation." It also outlined positions on election fraud, big tech, and immigration, among others.
The immigration section praised "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and cautioned against "foreign citizens" being "imported en-masse." The document included a number of false statements, Insider's Sonam Sheth reported.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger quickly denounced the caucus, saying anyone who joined "should have their committees stripped, and the Republican conference should expel them from conference participation."
Top House Republicans also spoke out against nativism within the GOP without explicitly mentioning the caucus.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter: "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans-not nativist dog whistles."
Rep. Liz Cheney said "Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all."
"Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate," she added.