How Trump and Matt Gaetz may have saved Marjorie Taylor Greene from a 'far-right' primary challenge: report

04 August 2023

As much of a far-right MAGA conspiracy theorist as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) has been, some MAGA Republicans have decided that she isn't far enough to the right. Greene has drawn criticism on the far right for allying herself with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California), and she was expelled from the House Freedom Caucus following her well-publicized war of words with the ultra-MAGA Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado).

Some of Greene's far-right critics have proposed a GOP congressional primary challenge for 2024. But according to the Daily Beast's Zachary Petrizzo, Greene has managed to "tamp down that revolution."

"Sources with knowledge of the situation said there are two people most responsible for shutting down the primary threats against Greene: Donald Trump and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)," Petrizzo reports. "Two months ago, former Trump adviser turned far-right podcaster Steve Bannon jumped into the anti-Greene movement as a vocal supporter of a primary challenge against the congresswoman. And just as quickly, as he ramped up the campaign, he seems to have dropped it….. Two sources familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that it was Gaetz specifically who waved Bannon off the idea of taking down Greene, but Trump's steadfast support for the congresswoman was a factor as well."

One of the sources told the Beast that Trump was "not happy" with the proposal to primary Greene, adding, "That's the point that Matt was trying to make to Bannon: You may not personally like Marjorie, but Marjorie is out there doing…. So stop it. It's counterproductive, and you are only going to take one of our own off the playing field."

Trump loyalist Greene is reportedly on the former president's short list of possible running mates if he wins the 2024 nomination, and one of the Beast's GOP sources said that Trump is "extremely positive" when he talks about her.

Far-right Florida-based MAGA Republican Laura Loomer has threatened to move to Georgia and primary Greene, but according to Petrizzo, she appears to have "cooled on the idea."

Petrizzo observes, "Despite Trump's mounting legal problems, he remains the most powerful figure in the GOP. Crossing Trump, as Bannon knows, is a recipe for disaster in a conservative movement that remains enduringly loyal to the former president — no matter what he says or does."

Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).

From Your Site Articles