US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing criticism for calling Black Lives Matter “the strongest terrorist threat in our county.”
In comments made in the wake of Derek Chauvin being convicted of murdering George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody last May, the congresswoman took to Twitter to criticise the social justice movement on Tuesday night — sparking outrage.
Twitter users responded in fury, with many bringing attention to the fact that Ms Greene supported Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud before crowds — alleged white domestic terrorists among them — stormed the US Capitol in January.
Activist and campaigner Rosanna Arquette wrote that the Georgia congresswoman and white supremacists were “the strongest terrorist threat in America”.
Star Trek actor George Takei added: “Marjorie Greene says BLM is the biggest terror threat to the nation. According to Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, it’s actually white supremacist extremists who pose the ‘most persistent and lethal threat to the homeland,’ but don’t expect Marge to denounce her most fervent supporters anytime soon.”
Ms Greene also wrote that “DC is completely dead” and full of police in riot gear because of the expectation of BLM demonstrations following the Chuavin verdict. Her unfounded claims were quickly challenged.
NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake wrote: “This isn’t true.”
“I spent four hours at BLM plaza in DC tonight, talking to the folks who wanted to come out near the White House on an historic night,” wrote Mr Haake. “Lots of people brought their kids or their dogs. It was a bit windy though.”
“That is a lie,” wrote another Twitter user. “I was in DC for three hours tonight and it was a beautiful night with folks enjoying their evening, eating outside, and getting back to normal life.”
It is not the first time a Republican has come under fire for calling the BLM movement a “terrorist” group, after Mr Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, called the racial justice campaigners “killers” who “hate white people”.
