Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday urged Americans to stop paying attention to Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), suggesting that her recent positions and rhetoric have shifted leftward. His remarks come as Greene has ramped up criticism of her own party during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Cruz said there’s no reason for people to “spend much time worrying about what Marjorie is saying.” He went on to argue that Greene’s shift on Israel has mirrored a broader ideological drift.
“What I’ve found is that whenever an elected official decides that they are going to turn on Israel and hate Israel, you will very quickly see every other policy out of their mouth become very, very liberal,” he said. “And so suddenly Marjorie is for massive government spending and taxes and open borders and amnesty.”
Cruz criticized her stances as out of step with voters. “That is not where the American people are,” he said, adding that the country is currently “on Day 29 of the stupidest shutdown.”
His comments came shortly after Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) also called out Greene, asking her to offer constructive solutions instead of internal attacks. Speaking on CNN’s The Source, Moreno said, “If this is something she‘s passionate about, put pen to paper, write a bill, present an option. Don‘t just criticize what other people are doing.”
Greene has recently accused Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of failing to share any concrete GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. During a conference call, Johnson reportedly said Republicans were developing ideas but declined to provide specific proposals. “Apparently I have to go into a SCIF to find out the Republican healthcare plan!!!” Greene wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Her criticism of Johnson adds to a growing list of disputes within the Republican ranks. Earlier this year, Greene made waves when she described the situation in Gaza as “genocide,” becoming the first Republican in Congress to use that term. She also targeted the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), claiming it should register as a foreign lobbying group.
During an appearance on a show hosted by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on One America News Network, Greene said, “Israel is not hurting, and they’ve already proven that they are more than capable of not only defending themselves, but annihilating their enemies to the point of genocide. And that’s what’s happening in Gaza.”
Cruz, meanwhile, has long dismissed Greene’s internal party attacks. Back in May, he called her attempt to remove Johnson from his leadership role “silly” and counterproductive. Speaking on the RealClearPolitics radio show, he said her actions “increase the chances of chaos” and could ultimately help Democrats. “There is zero chance a more conservative speaker will result,” Cruz added. “So I think what she’s doing is really unhelpful to the country.”
