Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has become a top surrogate for former President Donald Trump this election cycle, raising speculation the Georgia Republican could be on the short list to be his running mate in 2024.
Greene, who was first elected to Congress in 2020, rose to national attention by embracing issues and causes shunned by some Republicans for fear of controversy.
The strategy has made Greene a pariah among Democrats, who voted last year to strip her of committee assignments in the House, but popular among the Make America Great Again contingent of Republicans.
“She’s like Trump in the sense that she’s been demonized by Democrats and the media but isn’t afraid to punch back,” said Vish Burra, a GOP political strategist who has worked for Trump allies like Steve Bannon and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. “There are very few running mates for Trump in 2024 who have the loyalty of the MAGA base, but Greene is one of them.”
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE OPEN TO WHITE HOUSE RUN ‘DOWN THE ROAD’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has become a top surrogate for former President Trump this election cycle.
(Fox News Digital/Haris Alic)
“She’s well-known among the grassroots, especially the MAGA crowd, and a good fundraiser. So she brings something to the table as a VP-pick,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a consultant who has advised prominent GOP candidates like Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas.
“Greene is also kind of tried and tested because she’s been under the microscope since coming to Congress. Sure, she’s said some controversial stuff, but so has Trump, and he’s the most popular person within the Republican Party.”
Greene’s rhetoric and tactics have helped her cement a strong relationship with Trump. The former president has had the congresswoman speak at more of his election rallies this year than any other elected official.
Greene’s constant presence at Trump’s rallies is a twist, according to political operatives in the former president’s orbit.
Since 2016, Trump’s rallies have largely been one-man shows with a rotating cast of local elected officials, endorsed candidates and prominent allies appearing when appropriate. Former University of South Carolina football coach Lou Holtz, for instance, appeared at a Trump rally earlier this year in the Palmetto State.
Operatives close to Trump told Fox News Digital that in recent months Greene has appeared at rallies more frequently than other members of the former president’s inner circle, save for members of his family.
Greene’s constant presence at Trump’s rallies is unusual, according to political operatives in the former president’s orbit.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
“Like he’s always respected people on TV who get high ratings, Trump respects politicians that get big crowd ovations,” said an adviser in both of the former president’s White House campaigns. “And there is no denying that MAGA [Republicans] love Greene. You can bring her basically anywhere in the country, and she gets a big audience reaction.”
Greene admitted she was open to a national campaign during an interview with Fox News Digital in August.
“Those are things I’m definitely interested in, as long as I think they’re achievable and I can be effective in those roles,” Greene said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas. “But we’ll see what happens down the road.”
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE WAS ‘SWATTED’ AT HER HOME
As talk of Greene’s future grows, the congresswoman is working to make an imprint on the national Republican Party. Greene has raised more than $10 million for her re-election campaign since the start of last year.
Greene is using the money to back candidates in line with her and Trump’s populist style of politics. In recent months, Greene has endorsed Ohio’s J.D. Vance and Arizonan Blake Masters in their races for the Senate.
Political strategists speculate Greene could wind up as Trump’s running mate if the former president mounts another White House bid in 2024 as expected.
(RNC/Milwuakee 2024 host committee)
“Greene’s appeal is that she’s essentially a regular mom from Georgia who went from posting conservative stuff on Facebook to now saying it on the floor of the House of Representatives,” said the former Trump campaign adviser. “The media and Democrats disapprove, but Trump and the MAGA base love it.”
Some political strategists say the Georgia Republican would do little to help Trump expand his base to independent and moderate voters in 2024. Not everyone agrees with that argument, however, including some of Trump’s political opponents.
“Trump changed the way we approach campaigns. The No. 1 rule used to be you win by addition not subtraction,” said Mike Madrid, a consultant who advises both parties and helped found the Never-Trump Lincoln Project.
“He proved you could win by alienating people in California and New York, but finding new voters among blue-collar workers in places like Pennsylvania and Michigan,” added Madrid. “Picking Greene would double down on the strategy of getting as many votes as you need to win from a minority of the electorate.”
