Did Cori Bush's staff berate Marjorie Taylor Greene first? Republican Congresswoman releases video as defense
Several outlets carried news reports about Democratic House member Cori Bush's decision to move her congressional office away from Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's office.
The office move was first announced on Bush's Twitter feed after the Georgia Republican and her staff reportedly “berated” her in a hallway. "A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media. I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety. I've called for the expulsion of members who incited the insurrection from Day 1. Bring H.Res 25 to a vote."
A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) January 29, 2021
I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety.
I've called for the expulsion of members who incited the insurrection from Day 1. Bring H.Res 25 to a vote.
After Bush's tweet, Greene replied to it with a video attached. "Rep. @CoriBush is the leader of the St. Louis Black Lives Matter terrorist mob who trespassed into a gated neighborhood to threaten the lives of the McCloskey’s. She is lying to you. She berated me. Maybe Rep. Bush didn’t realize I was live on video, but I have the receipts." She later tweeted the same video again, this time with a new comment, saying: "It’s all on video! You instigated and attacked me, not the other way around. You got caught in a lie. You support and encourage BLM domestic terror. You led a mob to threaten the lives of the McCloskey’s. Stop playing the victim, Rep. @CoriBush"
Rep. @CoriBush is the leader of the St. Louis Black Lives Matter terrorist mob who trespassed into a gated neighborhood to threaten the lives of the McCloskey’s.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) January 29, 2021
She is lying to you. She berated me.
Maybe Rep. Bush didn’t realize I was live on video, but I have the receipts. https://t.co/CJjnI3ZTjC pic.twitter.com/ZMLGOGjxKw
It’s all on video!
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) January 29, 2021
You instigated and attacked me, not the other way around.
You got caught in a lie.
You support and encourage BLM domestic terror. You led a mob to threaten the lives of the McCloskey’s.
Stop playing the victim, Rep. @CoriBush.pic.twitter.com/ZMLGOG1WSY https://t.co/NJTQ0NRFJE
The video showed Greene, who supports QAnon, walking down the hall, maskless, ranting loudly about BLM protests and Antifa comparing how Democrats were downplaying those protests compared to the "small group" of Trump supporters who rioted at the Capitol. Her eyes make contact with people who she is passing by -- this was possibly Bush's team though that cannot be ascertained from the selfie video. As she walks away, somebody shouts in the background "put on a mask!". At this point, Greene stops and answers back. Both Congresswomen are first time House members and are outspoken political figures.
After Greene's tweeted response, Bush posted an official statement about the incident, refuting Greene's version of events. In it, she wrote: "On Jan. 13 — after members tested positive for COVID-19 after being locked down with her on Jan. 6 — Marjorie Taylor Greene came up from behind me, loud and unmasked. I called out to her to put hers on. Her staff yelled at me, 'Stop inciting violence with Black Lives Matter.'"
On Jan. 13 — after members tested positive for COVID-19 after being locked down with her on Jan. 6 — Marjorie Taylor Greene came up from behind me, loud and unmasked. I called out to her to put hers on.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) January 29, 2021
Her staff yelled at me, “Stop inciting violence with Black Lives Matter.” pic.twitter.com/GtN5AmGrkO
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directly ordered to have Bush's office changed after the Missouri congresswoman made the request following the incident, an aide to the speaker told the press. Till now, Bush’s office has been located a few doors down from Greene’s in the Longworth House Office Building. Members rarely move rooms during a session of Congress and offices are picked during a room lottery that occurs during orientation, a few weeks before their term starts.
The verbal spat comes as several lawmakers have called for her expulsion from Congress or at least removal from the House Education and Labor Committee, which she was appointed to by House Republican leaders.