“The Radical Right Is Unhinged”: Far-Right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Moves To Impeach Homeland Security Sec. Mayorkas Over Border Crisis

Michelle HollandNov 14, 2023

Minute Read

Far-right Christian Nationalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is pushing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the southern border crisis, even accusing him of “breaking the law.”

Greene Takes a Stand

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.

After filing the resolution to impeach Mayorkas, Greene took to the steps of the Capitol building, declaring “Enough is enough. We can’t wait anymore in Washington D.C.” The resolution was introduced as privileged, meaning that it must be brought to the House floor within two legislative days, but that lawmakers could table the motion to avoid conducting a formal vote on the resolution.

Texas Support

According to Greene, the resolution is supported by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who represents a district on the southern border. He has vowed to help build support among GOP members to impeach Mayorkas.

Contacting Mike Johnson

Though Greene attempted to inform House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of the motion, she failed to get in touch with him. “I hope (Johnson) supports it,” Greene said, adding, “I think everyone in our conference and I would hope Democrats as well would support impeaching someone that is breaking the law through his job and breaking his oath of office.”

A Tragic Accident

The impeachment push was prompted by the tragic death of two of Greene’s constituents, who were killed in an accident after a car crashed into them when fleeing police. Those trying to escape were suspected of harboring smuggled migrants.

Serious Accusations

Greene is alleging that Mayorkas participated in “willful admittance of border crossers, terrorists, human traffickers, drugs, and other contraband” and that he has “failed to maintain operational control of the border.”

Breaking an Oath

The resolution concluded that “Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, in his failure to uphold the oath he took, has, by his actions, lost the trust of citizens of the United States to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.”

Mayorkas’ House Unpopularity

Mayorkas has been frequently criticized by House Republicans who claim that the Biden administration is not doing enough to address the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border. Other GOP efforts to impeach the Homeland Secretary have generally been put on the back burner as House Republicans have proceeded with an impeachment inquiry into Biden instead.

An Unclear Future

It’s uncertain what trajectory the resolution will follow. Though Republicans may support the motion, it’s unlikely that any Democrats will be in favor. The Department of Homeland Security made its own statement on the matter, declaring that “while the House Majority has wasted months trying to score points with baseless attacks, Secretary Mayorkas has been doing his job and working to keep Americans safe.”

Mixed Online Reception

The reaction to Greene’s motion was mixed, with some people welcoming it and others highly criticizing its introduction. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of vitriol for Greene, who has already made many enemies with her extremist views.

Record of Negativity

“She is such an a–. A true embarrassment to humanity,” one forum user wrote. “What positive legislation to help America has she ever gotten behind?” asked another critic, adding that “she wants to tear us down, not build us up.”

Zero Proposals

“Is there anything but negative things that come out of this woman’s mouth?” one contributor asked. “She proposes no fixes nor improvements to put on the table, just hatred and blame. She is a grenade chucker, not a stateswoman.”

Conspiracy Theories

Others highlighted Greene’s fervent belief in several conspiracy theories. “This is the idiot who was talking about QAnon’s ridiculous theory of Jewish laser beams. Vowed to have Biden impeached before he ever took office. This QAnon nut job represents the underbelly of American society,” someone proclaimed.

An Alternative Suggestion

“How about if we impeach MTG?” another person suggested, elaborating that “the radical right is unhinged.” Someone else concurred that “we should “get rid” of MTG and all election deniers.”

Defending the Resolution

The motion was, however, applauded by some posters. “Marjorie Taylor Greene is a radical but in this case she is spot on. Anyone that has a clue about how our border security is under Biden’s Mayorkas should welcome the impeachment of Mayorkas,” came one such comment.

Praise from Conservatives

“2.5 years too late honestly,” one proponent of the resolution stated. Other comments read “about damn time,” “you go girl!” and “You go MTG!” One user assessed that Mayorkas is “not only incompetent, he’s a damn liar.”

Previous Attacks

Greene previously attacked Mayorkas in a committee hearing, accusing him of being a liar. Democrats sought twice to strike her remarks, and the Republican Chariman Mark Green (R-TN) unknowingly agreed, not realizing he was terminating her right to speak in the hearing rather than just striking her comments from the record.

Calling for MTG’s Removal

“MTG needs to be stricken from the committee completely,” someone wrote at the time. “Is there a way to silence that creature permanently?” another member wrote, whereas other commenters called her an “abomination” and “an ugly person in every respect.”