GOP infighting gets personal as Greene and Santos lob insults at fellow Republicans
By Melanie Zanona, CNN
Republican infighting turned nasty on Thursday after the House voted to reject a pair of divisive disciplinary measures the day before – a sign the conference is still badly divided, despite Speaker Mike Johnson insisting earlier that the party is unified.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been continually bashing her Republican colleagues who opposed her failed resolution to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, posting a list of the GOP “no” votes on X and calling them “feckless.”
But Greene has specifically zeroed in on GOP Rep. Chip Roy, telling him to “shut up” in one X post and criticizing his “powdered wig soliloquies,” among other things, in another.
In another post, she took aim at Roy for removing her from the Freedom Caucus and voting to certify the 2020 election – and also lobbed insults at two of her other former Freedom Caucus colleagues, Reps. Lauren Boebert and Ken Buck, both of Colorado.
The House also voted Wednesday night on a measure to expel embattled Rep. George Santos of New York. The effort failed, but over 20 House Republicans backed it.
GOP Rep. Steve Womack, who supported expulsion, posted on X: “Last night, the House saw its shadow. Unfortunately, this means there will be two more weeks of Santos.”
In response, Santos attacked Womack’s son, who pleaded guilty in October to one count of distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine in federal court in Arkansas, according to court documents. No date for sentencing has been set.
“Instead of being home, taking care of your son, you’re sitting pretty in the swamp,” Santos said.
Santos later apologized on X, writing that he had a “misguided moment of rage and lashed out against a colleagues family member after he was critical of me.”
“I’ve always held the standard that our families are off limits and I crossed that line and for that I am embarrassed and deeply sorry for doing so,” Santos wrote.
At the time of the plea, a local news report quoted Womack as saying: “There’s not a more helpless feeling than to see your adult children struggle with addiction and its horrific consequences. This is our cross to bear. We will never give up on a solution. We love him unconditionally and believe in our hearts he will redeem himself. We regret he is at the mercy of the criminal justice system and will respect the judgment.”
CNN has reached out to Womack for comment.
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