COVID: Marjorie Taylor Greene Lashes Out at Newsom on Twitter After Anti-Vax Criticism
WASHINGTON (CBS SF) -- Georgia congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked California Gov. Gavin Newsom on social media Monday after Newsom singled her out for promoting COVID vaccine disinformation during a press event.
Newsom was speaking Monday morning as he announced that the state would require state employees and all health care workers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested weekly in an effort to slow rising coronavirus infections -- largely among the unvaccinated -- due to the Delta variant.
During the announcement, Newsom acknowledged that some resistance remained among those who were wary of getting the COVID vaccine, but decried those who were making the vaccination and COVID protocols a political issue.
"We are exhausted, respectfully, exhausted by the ideological prism that too many Americans are living under. We're exhausted by the Ron Johnsons and the Tucker Carlsons, we're exhausted by the Marjorie Taylor Greenes; we're exhausted by the right-wing echo chamber that has been perpetuating misinformation around the vaccine and its efficacy and safety," Newsom said. "We're exhausted by politicization of this pandemic, and that includes mask wearing that has been equated to the Holocaust. It's disgraceful, it's unconscionable and it needs to be called out."
Taylor Greene quickly responded to Newsom on Twitter a short time after his public comments, saying that the people of California were exhausted by his "communist dictatorship" that had closed businesses, churches and schools.
"Mandating vaccines against people's will is unconscionable," the tweet read. "Which is why you're being recalled."
Newsom replied on Twitter with another swipe, calling Taylor Greene "murderous" and saying her "anti-vaccine lies are literally killing Americans."
"Your own supporters are following you off a cliff and into the ICU," Newsom continued before calling on Taylor Greene to "come clean about vaccines."
Taylor Green has been one of the more vocal critics of masking and COVID vaccinations among elected officials in the U.S., regularly likening masking and vaccination requirements to segregation and comparing them to the Holocaust. She apologized last month for likening face-mask policies to the Nazi practice of labeling Jews with Star of David badges, but then weeks later used another Nazi-era comparison opposing a Biden administration push to encourage vaccinations, calling those involved "medical brown shirts."
Last month, she spoke during a news conference in Washington calling for the firing of Anthony Fauci as director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and principal medical advisor to the president.
In California, the rising cases come against the political backdrop of an upcoming recall election against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. He allowed the state to reopen on June 15 and has been hesitant to impose new requirements on mask-wearing or social distancing, even as major counties — including Los Angeles County — require or urge residents to again wear masks indoors.
Voters will start receiving ballots in the mail in about three weeks, with election day scheduled for Sept. 14.
