In a stunning rebuke of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez (D–N.Y.) argued Sunday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.) is really the one calling the shots in the Republican caucus — not McCarthy.
Ocasio–Cortez made the statement during an interview with Jen Psaki on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.” When asked if McCarthy was actually running his caucus, Ocasio–Cortez responded, “He’s not.” She then went on to say that she believes Greene is the one running the show.
Ocasio–Cortez pointed out that Greene has made public statements that suggest McCarthy is doing her bidding, and that the Speaker is stuck between having to please the “most racist and heinous elements of his party” and maintaining a majority.
The New York congresswoman also said she’s not sure McCarthy will have the votes to pass his debt limit proposal.
“He’s, kind of, brought up himself up a creek without a paddle,” Ocasio–Cortez said.
McCarthy won the Speakership earlier this year after days and 15 rounds of voting. He reportedly made concessions to conservative holdouts in order to get the votes he needed to take the top House slot.
The comments from Ocasio–Cortez have many people wondering if McCarthy is really in charge of the Republican caucus — or if it’s Greene who is really calling the shots. If true, it would mean that McCarthy is no longer the leader of the House Republican majority, a position that he has held since 2018.
It’s clear that Ocasio–Cortez’s comments have caused a stir in Washington, and many are now questioning whether McCarthy is really in charge of the Republican caucus. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the coming weeks, but it looks like Greene is the one to watch right now.
