House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that she is concerned about threats against members of Congress and suggested that “the enemy is inside the House of Representatives”.
Pelosi said that Congress will likely have to pass a bill that provides more money for members’ security due to recent threats since the Capitol insurrection on January 6.
“We will probably need a supplement for more security for members when the enemy is inside the House of Representatives – a threat that concerns members beyond what is happening outside,” said Pelosi.
When asked to expand what she meant by “the enemy is inside”, she replied, “We have members of Congress who want to bring weapons to the ground and have threatened violence against other members of Congress.”
ABC News contacted Pelosi’s office for further clarification on which members she was referring to – but did not respond immediately.
His comments came after Republicans had tried in recent days to bring their weapons to the floor of the Chamber, despite the addition of a metal detector to the chamber’s door. Some Republicans are avoiding the metal detector altogether.
CNN’s KFile, in a report on his online activity, said Republican MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Reportedly “liked” a comment on her Facebook page in 2019 that threatened the lives of Pelosi and other Democrats.
ABC News cannot confirm the “likes” because the posts have been deleted.
Greene was also recently assigned to the House Education and Work Committee, despite his support for conspiracy theories, claiming that mass shootings at schools in Sandy Hook and Parkland were staged.
Pelosi, D-Calif., Invaded the Republican leadership for giving Greene this committee assignment.
“What worries me is the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, which is willing to ignore, ignore these statements, assigning it to the Education Committee when it scoffed at the murder of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when it scoffed at the murder of teenagers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “said Pelosi.
“What could they be thinking? Or is it too generous to think of a word to define what they are doing,” she added. “It is absolutely terrible.”
The Republican minority leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Also said he will have a “conversation” with Greene about his support for these threatening messages on social media. It is not clear whether the two have already spoken.
Asked to comment on Thursday, Greene said in a statement provided by his office: “Democrats and their spokespeople on Fake News Media will not stop until they defeat conservative Republicans. They are coming after me because I am a threat to the goal of socialism They are coming after me because they know that I represent the people, not the politicians.
“They are coming after me because, as President Trump, I will always defend conservative values,” she continued. “They want to take me out because I represent the people. And they absolutely hate it.”
She did not answer a question about a report she agreed to on a social media post saying the shooting at Sandy Hook’s school was staged.
In a previous statement posted on Twitter, Greene did not deny that he liked the posts and responded to comments, but said that many people have his Facebook page.
Representative Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Announced plans on Wednesday to submit a resolution calling for Greene to be expelled from Congress because of his social media posts.
“As if it were not enough to amplify the conspiracy theories that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job and the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was staged, a series of recent media reports now confirmed that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had previously supported social media posts calling for political violence against the mayor, members of Congress and former President Barack Obama, ”said Gomez in a statement on Wednesday.
“This advocacy of extremism and sedition not only demands your immediate expulsion from Congress, but it also deserves a strong and clear condemnation from all your Republican colleagues, including House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell . Her very presence in office poses a direct threat against elected officials and officials serving our government, and it is with her safety in mind, as well as the safety of institutions and public officials across our country, that I appeal to my colleagues at House to support my resolution to immediately remove Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from this legislative body, “he said.
It would take two-thirds of the House vote to expel Greene to remove her from the chamber. That would require about 70 Republicans to vote with all Democrats for Gomez’s measure. It is unlikely to happen.
The previous Thursday, the chairman of the House’s Education and Work Committee, Democratic deputy Bobby Scott, D-Va., Condemned the Republican leadership over Greene’s assignment to his committee.
He references a March 2019 video in which Greene can be seen following David Hogg, a survivor of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, on a sidewalk outside the Capitol in Washington, DC, repeatedly asking why he is defending gun control laws. Greene says to Hogg: “Why are you supporting red flag gun laws that attack our Second Amendment rights?
“House Republicans appointed someone to this Committee who claimed that the murder of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a scam. House Republicans appointed someone to this committee who claimed that the murder of 14 students and three teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was staged, “said Scott.” House Republicans nominated someone to this committee who chased and reprimanded a 17-year-old man who survived a mass school shooting, and then celebrated that behavior by posting on social media. House Republicans have appointed someone to this Committee who has publicly endorsed violence against elected officials, “Scott said in a statement, referring to Greene.
“The House Republicans made that nomination and the House Republican minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, must explain how someone with that background represents the Republican Party on education issues. He is sending a clear message to students, parents and educators about the views of the Republican Party, “he said.
Benjamin Siegel of ABC News contributed to this report.