'Delusional' Marjorie Taylor Greene will never be Trump’s 'heir apparent' — here's why

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) speaking to reporters on June 13, 2024 (Philip Yabut/Shutterstock.com)

Although some MAGA Republicans are calling for President Donald Trump to run for a third term in 2028 — regardless of what the U.S. Constitution's 22nd Amendment says — others are wondering who MAGA's post-Trump leader will be. Vice President JD Vance? "War Room" host Steve Bannon? Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri)?

Another far-right MAGA Republican who is promoting herself relentlessly is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia). MTG drew plenty of criticism and mockery from Democrats after being sworn into Congress in January 2021, from her "Jewish space lasers" conspiracy theory to her willingness to promote QAnon to her bitter feuds with Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina), and others.

Democrats dismissed MTG as a performative troll who had no reason interest in policy. Yet Greene, in recent months, has been more policy-focused — calling for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and saying that elements of Trump's foreign policy are inconsistent with the isolationist "America First" agenda that he campaigned on in 2024.

In an article published on October 6, Salon's Amanda Marcotte lays out some reasons why Greene will not become the MAGA movement's post-Trump leader.

"On paper, Greene has a lot going for her as Trump’s heir apparent, and she likely will get checkbooks flinging open," Marcotte explains. "But there's one big, glaring reason she's delusional if she really thinks she can secure the Republican nomination. Yes, it's the obvious one: She's a woman. MAGA will never accept a woman as their leader. But before we confront the gender elephant in the room, it's necessary to explore why Greene is actually doing a lot of smart things."

Marcotte continues, "She recognizes that Trump built his following by presenting himself as a break from tired Republican politics. Granted, he did it mostly through lying, by claiming he wasn't going to take away people's health care or government benefits, when in fact, that was his plan all along. In recent months, Greene has staked out several high-profile issues where she rejects Republican orthodoxy — including the cultish devotion to Trump — and presents herself as a free thinker to voters. And gosh, they all happen to be issues where the GOP stance is unpopular, even with some of their base."

Frustrated voters, Marcotte emphasizes, are hoping to "make a decisive break" from current politicians.

"Portraying yourself as a fresh start is a crucial part of any aspiring presidential candidate's opening gambit," Marcotte writes. "But it's especially resonant right now, when voters across the spectrum are increasingly fed up with the country's existing leadership…. So it's no surprise, then, that ambitious younger MAGA figures are beginning to position themselves as possibilities to inherit Trump's mantle….. In recent months, Greene has staked out several high-profile issues where she rejects Republican orthodoxy — including the cultish devotion to Trump — and presents herself as a free thinker to voters."

But in MAGA World, feminist Marcotte observes, MTG's gender remains a liability.

"When Greene makes outlandish claims and statements, since she is a woman, people recognize it for what it is," Marcotte argues. "Women aren't afforded the presumption of intelligence. If anything, it’s the opposite: Women's intelligence tends to be underestimated, especially by conservatives…. Greene has a lot of qualities Republican voters apparently like. She's entitled and loud, and she can be mean. But that's what they want from men. They still think it's unseemly in a woman."

Amanda Marcotte's full Salon article is available at this link.

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