Republican candidate for Georgia's 14th congressional seat Marjorie Taylor Greene is shown during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Roswell, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
By Ben Nadler
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who expressed racist views and support for QAnon conspiracy theories in a series of online videos, has won a U.S. House seat representing northwest Georgia.
Her candidacy was bolstered by President Donald Trump, who has called her a “future Republican Star.”
Greene was heavily favored in the conservative district even before Democratic challenger Kevin Van Ausdal suddenly dropped out in September, saying he was moving out of state.
Greene thanked her staff and asked supporters to pray for President Donald Trump to win reelection at a watch party Tuesday night, video of which was livestreamed on Facebook.
In her remarks, Greene pledged to “fight hard to make sure that Nancy Pelosi and the squad and the radical Democrats in the House do not steal anything away from America, because this country was never ever meant to be a socialist nation.”
Greene is a businesswoman and political newcomer who’s gained large followings on social media in part by posting incendiary videos and comments.
Greene has claimed in online videos that Black and Hispanic men are being held back by “gangs and dealing drugs,” alleged an “Islamic invasion” of government offices and accused Jewish billionaire George Soros of collaborating with Nazis.
She has also embraced QAnon, a far-right U.S. conspiracy theory centered around the debunked belief that Trump is fighting a secret campaign against “deep-state” enemies and a child sex trafficking ring of satanic pedophiles and cannibals.
In more recent videos and posts, she has attacked everything from the Black Lives Matter movement to the use of facemasks to protect against the coronavirus.
After some of her comments came to light, Greene was condemned by some future House colleagues within her own party, but many other Republicans including Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler have embraced her.
She had a blunt message for her detractors in a speech after winning a GOP primary runoff in August: “I will not apologize.”
“Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent,” Trump tweeted after her primary win. “Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER!”
Greene initially started campaigning for a different House seat, challenging Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, made up of suburbs north of Atlanta. She switched to the more conservative 14th District after Republican Rep. Tom Graves announced that he wasn’t seeking reelection.
Democrats weren’t able to replace Van Ausdal on the ballot because he dropped out too close to the election, leaving Greene essentially unopposed in the race.
The seat has been open since Graves stepped down in October.
As we move into the colder months in the U.S., health experts are warning of a more active flu season than last year, sounding the alarm on what many are calling a 'twindemic.' Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease epidemiologist, joined Cheddar's 'Search for the Cure' to discuss the intersection of the flu season with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Schools across the country could expect to see billions of dollars towards providing a more accessible Universal Pre-K program. Steven Barnett, Board of Governors Professor and Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, joined Cheddar News to discuss more.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals court temporarily held up President Biden's vaccine mandate for workplaces with more than 100 employees as the various lawsuits challenging it are combined. Marjorie Mesidor, a partner at the law firm Phillips & Associates, PLLC, joined Cheddar to break down the arguments in play. "They [the Biden Administration] say we have the authority to do this under the broad powers that are given under OSHA," she said. "What the Republic side then is saying, no, this is overbroad."
The UN climate summit wrapped up over the weekend after days of negotiations over the summit's final agreement. The agreement pushes countries to reassess their climate goals by the end of next year, do more for countries facing the worst effects of climate change, and also calls for a "phase down" of coal and other fossil fuel subsidies. The White House praised the agreement, but underscored the feelings of many world leaders by saying it isn't enough.
Deborah Brosnan, climate expert and president of Deborah Brosnan and Associates, joined Cheddar's News Wrap to discuss.
President Biden is under some pressure from members of his own party over rising gas prices. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the president to utilize oil reserves to lower gas prices ahead of the holiday season, as gas prices are currently at a seven-year high. Energy Workforce & Technology Council CEO Leslie Beyer joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The men's brand Harry's is teaming up with Stop Soldier Suicide and Headstrong to help provide mental health support with a $500,000 financial commitment. The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan triggered a range of mental health responses from veterans and active service members, as well as displaced refugees who are now acclimating to a new way of life. Maggie Hureau, Harry's head of social impact, joined Cheddar News to talk about the partnership and why Harry's chose to get involved in mental health care.
Inflation has risen to its highest level in 31 years, sending consumer prices on everything from groceries to gas to rent surging. For many businesses, that's good news as inflation typically means better profit margins. According to data from FactSet, nearly two out of three of the biggest U.S. publicly traded companies have reported fatter profit margins so far this year compared to the same stretch of 2019, before the pandemic. Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist for Oxford Economics, breaks down how the top businesses are reaping the benefits of inflation, and when consumers can expect inflation to ease.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is facing a lawsuit from Ohio's attorney general Dave Yost, who said the company misled the public about safety on the platform.
Cases of covid-19 are climbing in the Upper Midwest, Southwest, and parts of the Northeast. The seven-day national average is sitting at roughly 82,000 new cases which is an 11 percent jump from the week before. Dr. Amesh Adalja, Infectious Disease, Specialist, Sr. Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this recent uptick ahead of the holiday season.
