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c/fediverse_vs_disinfo · by tonytins@pawb.social · 254d

The New York Times wants you to think that Marjorie Taylor Greene is politically savvy

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/the-new-york-times-wants-you-to-think-that-marjorie-taylor-greene-is-politically-savvy/

In a surprisingly flattering profile in The New York Times, Marjorie Taylor Greene portrays herself as a political naif who actually believed Donald Trump’s campaign promises and suffered death threats once she broke with the president.

The article softens Greene’s image by omitting some of her most outrageous behavior. The story mentions that she “harassed 18-year-of gun activist David Hogg on the street,” without mentioning that Hogg was himself the survivor of a mass shooting at his high school. There’s no word about Greene calling Hogg “little Hitler” or about the time Greene kicked another teen activist. Nor is there any mention of Greene’s suggestion that Paul Pelosi, husband of then-speaker Nancy Pelosi, knew the man who assaulted him in his home, a homophobic lie circulated by the right.

None of Greene’s actions are presented as beyond the pale. Instead reporter Robert Draper characterizes her in far gentler terms than Greene’s behavior would admit: “Greene did harbor a genuine conspiratorial streak, often even wondering if this or that person wore a wire. But she was also becoming an increasingly shrewd and acerbic observer of life on Capitol Hill.”

270 points · 39 comments · view on lemmy.world

39 Comments

Bonesince1997@lemmy.world · 48 pts · 254d (3 replies)

The woman who chased around a school shooting victim. The woman who mentioned something about Jewish space lasers. Savvy if you're a moron, or if you're the NYT.

MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 254d (1 reply)

Did the NYT call her savvy or is that an interpretation by the source?

Kirk@startrek.website · 2 pts · 254d

The NYT piece did not call her savvy. The author did say "shrewd".

Greene did harbor a genuine conspiratorial streak, often even wondering if this or that person wore a wire. But she was also becoming an increasingly shrewd and acerbic observer of life on Capitol Hill.

cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 254d

To be fair: space lasers were proposed decades ago

By Ronald Reagan.

grue@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 254d (6 replies)

I believe she actually believed Trump's bullshit. But that doesn't make her "savvy;" that makes her a fucking moron.

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 254d (2 replies)

she only turned on because trump wouldnt endorse her for her senate run.

Kirk@startrek.website · 3 pts · 254d (1 reply)

I am loathe to defend her, but she's actually remained pretty ideologically consistent (terrible but consistent) in her brief political career. She came into office with Qanon beliefs and wanting the Epstein Files to be released and anti vax nonsense and now she no longer is in the Qult but she's still talking about the same things.

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 253d

shes a true believer, she only got scorned when she wasnt being supported for her senate run, the gop most likely told trump mtg would hurt the gop chances in alanta in the future if they endorse her.

MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 254d
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Kirk@startrek.website · 0 pts · 254d (1 reply)

Yeah (I can't believe I'm saying this) but in Marjorie's defense she described herself as "naive", and that is also the quote the New York Times put in the banner.

It sounds like she is having a literal come to Jesus moment but I also think the readers of the Times are high enough IQ to know that that doesn't erase the past actions.

DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social · 1 pts · 253d

They have a subscription to the times, so I think they're kind of person dumb enough to unironically talk about IQ scores as a measurement of critical thinking ability.

harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 23 pts · 254d (6 replies)

The pro-corporate, bootlicking newspaper is trying to sanewash MTG? Can't wait to see WaPo's fluff piece on her.

Kirk@startrek.website · 4 pts · 254d

While I am no fan of the Times and absolutely don't think that she deserves a big splashy feature on their front page, it truly wasn't a puff piece and definitely not sanewashing. Here are a few examples:

“Robert,” she replied with a searching look, “do you really think Joe Biden got 81 million votes without even campaigning?” “Yes,” I said. “They counted all the votes. That was the final tally. Why wouldn’t I believe it?” The look she then gave me, which I will never forget, was one of bottomless pity.

And

Just outside the front door of her office stood the familiar placard blaring, “There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE.”

And

Trump, she claims, was bothered by her steadfast opposition to abortion, which she has called “murder.”

And

[...]she continued to characterize Trump’s Democratic opponents, and their positions, in the direst of terms: “radical communist Kamala Harris,” “the perverted trans agenda against children that is an attack directly on God’s creation,” “the party of pedophiles.”

As the article OP posted said, she has said many other even more batshit things that should not be forgotten but that's not really what the Times piece was about (it was about her fight with Trump).

MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world · -10 pts · 254d (4 replies)

Reporting what she says is "sanewashing"?

I thought it was MAGA who wanted media censorship.

Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 14 pts · 254d

Leaving out the more extreme 2/3 of her actions when contextualizing while choosing to report what she is currently saying so she can construct a new image of herself to the voting public is "sanewashing", yes. The complaint wasn't about what the times did say (censorship), but what they didn't.

GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 254d

The story mentions that she “harassed 18-year-of gun activist David Hogg on the street,” without mentioning that Hogg was himself the survivor of a mass shooting at his high school.

Pretty clear sane washing, but Imma assume you can't read it anyway.

Bakkoda@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 254d

Carefully edited transcripts, ignoring her past and pretending like she's been playing the long game is fiction. It's not censorship, it's fiction. Honestly this isn't that hard a take to figure out. Stir shit elsewhere.

biggerBear@lemmynsfw.com · 3 pts · 253d

Reporting only the sane thoughts of someone who literally believes that Jewish space lasers are to blame for forest fires is not journalism.

danc4498@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 254d (1 reply)

I don’t think I can not hate her.

grue@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 254d

I see no reason to try.

SinningStromgald@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 254d (2 replies)

Sadly not enough people will remember what a complete piece of shit MTG is now that she isn't sucking diarrhea straight from Dumperts anus.

PostaL@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 254d (1 reply)

Pepperidge farm remembers...

cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 254d

Pepperidge farm is obviously a communist. Remembering things is pinko shit. Weve always been at war with Eurasia!

Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 254d

I have rocks in my driveway more savvy than that twit.

Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 254d (2 replies)

She’s throwing punches at Trump so she is and will be perceived as savvy because in December of 2025 she is.

Her politics are pretty much the same as his but more isolationist. Neither are good people with good political ideas but I welcome her left hooks against the president.

Warl0k3@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 254d

My enemy's enemy is... potentially useful, even if they're a massive craven idiot like MTG.

Kirk@startrek.website · 2 pts · 254d

Yeah, I mentioned this elsewhere too but she’s actually remained pretty ideologically consistent (terrible but consistent) in her brief political career. From her perspective, it's Trump that moved away from her (or at least revealed himself to be away from her) politically.

renrenPDX@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 253d (3 replies)

Sounds like they're prepping her as a possible presidential candidate.

buddascrayon@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 253d

A newspaper owned by oligarchs grooming the country for their next puppet president? Couldn't possibly be.

tonytins@pawb.social · 4 pts · 253d

Using the power of gaslighting.

Rakonat@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 253d

Between her and couch fucker not sure which is worse.

some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org · 9 pts · 254d

This braining donkey is not someone to respect or platform.

electric_nan@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 253d

Remember when she said it was Jewish space lasers that caused the fires in California?

Shamber@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 253d

She always reminded me of neanderthal woman reconstructions in natural history museums

TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 254d (1 reply)

The greatest mistake one could make is underestimating the opposition. If MTG is not as savvy as one thinks, she wouldn't be in power, would she? It takes certain skills and talent to be able to manipulate the populace to vote for you, while at the same time enriching yourself. Just because she says and believes in dumb things doesn't mean she's not a skilled politician. Is a millionaire hedge fund manager stupid for not knowing how MRNA vaccines work? Just because one person lacks knowledge on one thing doesn't mean she/he is totally stupid.

I remember Lemmy scoffing at MAGA and Trump for being dumb. But a completely dumb person would not be able to take the reins of power. The MAGA are the ones in charge, not us. Maybe we are the stupid ones for falling to obvious scams. The stupider are the people who voted for the stupid person. That makes the elected person the least stupid out of all stupid.

Sharkticon@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 253d

Well she's not in power. Congress is in recess and she's resigning in like a week.

BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.com · -4 pts · 254d (1 reply)

It's just wrestling, her managers have decided she needs to stop being a heel and try to market herself as a face for awhile.

No one really likes it, but the best play is to go along with it as long as she's improving the landscape... and as long as she's making Trump look bad, that's overall a win.

cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 254d

Nah. Don't let them come back from shitvas vile as what she's done.

MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world · -10 pts · 254d (1 reply)

The article softens Greene’s image by omitting some of her most outrageous behavior.

Yeah maybe it's a specific news piece and not a complete fucking biography.

GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 254d

Leaving out the harassment of David Hogg and the Jewish space laser shit is strait up retconning.

If you can't see the agenda, then sit down.