QAnon-Supporting Candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene Guaranteed A Congressional Win
Topline
Marjorie Taylor Greene is guaranteed to become the first member of Congress who has openly supported the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon when the dust settles in Georgia, as her only opponent dropped out just 31 days into the race.
DALLAS, GA – OCTOBER 15: Georgia Republican House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene endorses Sen. … [+]
Getty Images
Key Facts
The Georgia secretary of state refused to disqualify Van Ausdal from the race, citing Georgia law, leaving Democrats without a replacement candidate (Van Ausdal’s name will still be listed on the ballot, even though he has dropped out.)
Greene has openly touted the QAnon conspiracy theory multiple times, once calling “Q”—the so-called leader of the movement—a “patriot.”
Greene has also been criticized for hours of old videos uncovered by Politico in June in which she expressed racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic sentiments.
President Trump has wholeheartedly embraced Greene: he endorsed her in the primary and general election, invited her to to be a guest at the GOP convention, and called her a “future Republican star.”
Tangent
Even though Van Ausdal’s name is on the ballot, it is extremely unlikely the candidate gets more votes than Greene. “We do not expect him to get more votes,” Van Ausdal’s campaign manager Vinny Olsziewski told Forbes Tuesday.
Key Background
Greene is one of several candidates running for office this year who has openly touted the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Surprising Fact
In September, Greene posted a photoshopped graphic of herself holding a gun next to three progressive members of Congress known as “The Squad”—Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)—Forbes first reported. After Forbes published its story, Facebook removed the photo for violating its policies.
What To Watch For
How Greene is accepted within the Republican Party establishment. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said he would “welcome” Greene in the House, even as he denounced QAnon himself.
Further Reading
Trump-Backed Candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene Promotes 9/11 Conspiracy Theory (Forbes)
The 31 Day Campaign Against QAnon (Washington Post)
*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Forbes can be found here ***
