Marjorie Taylor Greene certainly made a spectacle of the six weeks since she initiated her motion to vacate. She frequently paraded around Capitol Hill with her boyfriend, Right Side Broadcasting Network host Brian Glenn, often accompanied by her press secretary, Nick Dyer.
When Greene finally called for a vote on Wednesday night, centrist Republicans gathered, with Glenn and Dyer observing. Dyer even lit a cigarette while Glenn expressed unwavering support for his girlfriend.
Greene seemed to revel in the attention she garnered despite the House tackling crucial votes on keeping the government operational and aiding allies like Ukraine. Reporters flocked to her, seeking her opinions, although she lacked the necessary votes to depose Mike Johnson and lacked substantive proposals.
Marjorie Taylor Greene
When Greene withdrew her motion to vacate on Wednesday, she drew ire from both Republicans and Democrats, who were eager to adjourn early. The timing, just before a final round of votes preceding an early departure, elicited groans, shouts, and heckles from representatives on both sides.
While Greene may have enjoyed the spotlight during her failed attempt to oust Johnson, it’s likely the pinnacle of her influence. Unlike Matt Gaetz’s successful motion against Kevin McCarthy, Greene’s vote rendered her powerless. Even her staunch ally, Donald Trump, publicly distanced himself from her.
Greene’s decision to align herself with McCarthy in hopes of regaining committee assignments lost due to controversial remarks backfired. By joining forces with McCarthy, she became part of the very establishment Trump opposed. Her attempts to assert her influence, including threats to break with McCarthy, eventually rang hollow, exposing her diminishing clout.
Greene’s motion served as an act of desperation, an attempt to reclaim the spotlight from her rivals. However, by filing her motion so publicly, she boxed herself into a lose-lose situation. Now, with her failed bid, Greene finds herself relegated to the sidelines, her once-blazing influence reduced to mere embers.
