On the floor of the U.S. House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) caused a stir by donning a vibrant red MAGA hat during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. True to form, she not only garnered attention but also disregarded the rules in the process.
House buildings are considered official government resources, according to the official House rules. The rules state that, as a general rule, these buildings may not be used for the conduct of campaign or political activities.
Greene’s hat with the slogan “Make America Great Again” could be seen as a form of campaigning.
During Biden’s State of the Union addresses, Greene has consistently caused a commotion. As the president made his way into the House chamber on Thursday night, she attempted to engage him in a direct conversation. In a visible exchange, Greene urged Biden to “say her name,” alluding to Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was reportedly killed by an undocumented immigrant.
Biden did not take the bait, and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) could be seen trying to keep Greene from going too close to Biden.
But later, during Biden’s speech, Greene, still wearing her MAGA hat, prompted Biden to reference Riley. Biden ended up holding up a Laken Riley button and claiming she was slain by “an illegal,” a contentious and demeaning term that Democrats typically avoid.
While Greene achieved what she wanted, she may face consequences for her fashion choices.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) promptly tweeted Thursday night that Greene was “in direct violation of the rules of the House by wearing campaign insignia on the House floor” and that she is likely to face an ethics complaint—even if it won’t be heard in a Republican-controlled House.
Greene reacted to Raskin’s complaint by stating that Biden was in “direct violation” of his duties to defend the US-Mexico border.
