According to a report from the New York Times, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) hit the road this week with a visit to Iowa in an effort to spread their far-right view of America and set the stage for a Donald Trump run for president in 2024.
The two controversial Republicans spoke at an "America First" rally in Des Moines that was attended by party faithful primed to hear that the country is going the wrong way under President Joe Biden and that the 2020 presidential election was stoled from Trump -- and the two lawmakers didn't disappoint.
As the Times' Astead Herndon wrote, "The fringe of the Republican Party is sick of being called the fringe. Led by people like Ms. Greene and Mr. Gaetz, two upstart members of Congress with little legislative power and few allies in their party's caucus, these conservatives believe they have assets more valuable than Washington clout: a shared language with the party's base, and a political intuition that echoes Mr. Trump's."
With the report noting, "Republicans who went to the rally or who have followed Ms. Greene and Mr. Gaetz from afar said the pair's efforts should not be discounted," some Republican campaign consultants are wary of their efforts and question the value of the two controversial lawmakers out making claims that could come back to haunt the GOP in the 2022 midterms and beyond.
"In Washington, the two members of Congress are treated like little more than a media sideshow, a nuisance for Republican leaders. They do not have traditional legislative power, and antics like Ms. Greene's promise to bring impeachment articles against Mr. Biden gain no traction in Congress," Herndon wrote before adding their influence has its limits.
Writing, "Their words support Mr. Trump's core policies: cutting immigration, attacking liberal messaging on race and policing, targeting big tech companies," Herndon quoted Georgia GOP strategist Brian Robinson explaining that, "there was a big difference between someone who excites activists and someone who has Mr. Trump's universal name recognition and business-friendly persona."
"A person like Marjorie Taylor Greene attracts crowds and attention because they are speaking to an audience that feels marginalized but also mobilized, because they're angry," Robinson explained. "But revving up certain segments of the party can also alienate other parts of the party."
California-based GOP campaign strategist added, "They fascinate the media ... as far as real muscle, even in the Republican primary, they're just one of many factions."
"Still, Ms. Greene and Mr. Gaetz may have the next-best thing, according to rally attendees, other close watchers of the Republican Party and even some liberals. They are messengers of the type of white grievance politics that Mr. Trump deployed nationally," Herndon added.
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