Marjorie Taylor Greene 'aggressively' confronts AOC and accuses her of supporting 'terrorists'

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in what witnesses described as an aggressive encounter outside the House chamber on Wednesday afternoon during which she accused the Democrat of supporting terrorists.

It prompted a complaint by Ocasio-Cortez’s to authorities to ensure Congress remained ‘a safe, civil place for all members and staff.’

The episode erupted on Wednesday afternoon after Ocasio-Cortez had criticized the Biden administration’s stance on Israel.

As Ocasio-Cortez left the House chamber Greene shouted ‘Hey Alexandria’ twice to get her attention, according to Washington Post journalists who saw the confrontation.

Greene tried to catch up to the New York representative, asking why she supports antifa and Black Lives Matter, describing them as ‘terrorist’ groups.

She then accused the left-wing Democrat of failing to defend her ‘radical socialist’ beliefs and refusing to debate her face-to-face.

‘You don’t care about the American people,’ Greene shouted. ‘Why do you support terrorists and antifa?’

Ocasio-Cortez kept walking, pausing only to throw up her hands in a gesture of exasperation, said the witnesses.

Her office responded by calling on congressional authorities to protect members of Congress and foster a climate for safe debate.

‘Representative Greene tried to begin an argument with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez tried to walk away, Congresswoman Greene began screaming and called Rep. Ocasio-Cortez a terrorist sympathizer,’ Ocasio-Cortez spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said in a statement given to the newspaper.

‘We hope leadership and the Sergeant at Arms will take real steps to make Congress a safe, civil place for all members and staff — especially as many offices are discussing reopening. One member has already been forced to relocate her office due to Congresswoman Greene’s attacks.’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her office had been informed of what she described as the ‘verbal assault and abuse’ of a colleague.

‘It is so beyond the pale of anything that is in keeping with bringing honor to the House or not bringing dishonor to the house,’ she said at her weekly news conference, adding that it should go to the ethics committee.

‘This is beneath the dignity of a person serving in the Congress of the United States and is a cause for trauma and fear among members, especially on the heels of an insurrection,’ she said. 

After the exchange, Greene accused Ocasio-Cortez of cowardice.

‘She’s a chicken, she doesn’t want to debate the Green New Deal,’ she told reporters.

‘These members are cowards.

‘They need to defend their legislation to the people. That’s pathetic.’

Greene has a record of spreading conspiracy theories and Democrats voted to strip her of committee assignments.

She confronted Ocasio-Cortez on the House floor in April to demand a debate on the Green New Deal after the Democratic Representative said climate change was the result of racism. 

For her part, Ocasio-Cortez attracted criticism after wading into the spiraling Israel-Gaza conflict on Wednesday. 

She accused President Joe Biden of issuing a ‘blanket statement’ that failed to acknowledge the root causes of the crisis which included the Israeli police raid of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the looming evictions of dozens of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem.

‘By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions – which are condemnable – & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘This is not neutral language. It takes a side – the side of occupation.’

Hours earlier, Biden said: ‘Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.’