An hour into the rally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is standing in front of the podium, microphone in hand, sways back and forth as she tears into political opponents.
She calls for a Black congresswoman to be expelled from the chamber, brands an openly gay congressman “Mussolini” and dramatically emphasizes former President Barack Obama’s middle name, “Hussein.”
Then she turns to some favorite targets on the far left, four freshman House members, all women of color: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Puerto Rican; Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both Muslim; and Ayanna Pressley, who is Black.
“These women are a disgrace,” Greene says, gripping the mic with one hand and waving her finger with the other. “They are an embarrassment to the United States Congress. They are terrorists.”
A man in the crowd yells back, “Send them to Palestine!”
Months after President Donald Trump left office, Greene and a cast of other hard-right Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, are pursuing an ambitious effort to sustain the former president’s agenda, press the GOP further to the right and bring American politics with them.
