U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday became the first Republican member of Congress to call the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a “genocide.”
Her statement came as U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged that Palestinians are starving and as Israel continues to deny reports of famine.
“It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct. 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,” Greene wrote on X.
Highlights
- Marjorie Taylor Greene became the first Republican in Congress to call the Gaza humanitarian crisis a “genocide.”
- Greene criticized GOP Rep. Randy Fine for approving the starvation of Palestinians, calling his statements disgraceful.
- Greene will not run for Georgia governor in 2026, citing her disagreement with the state’s GOP leadership culture.
MTG is the first GOP lawmaker to call the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a ‘genocide’
Image credits: Al Drago/Getty Images
Her statement marked a break from most Republicans in Congress, who have maintained strong support for Israel since the October 2023 Hamas attack.
Greene’s post came as she criticized GOP Rep. Randy Fine, who recently appeared to approve of Palestinians facing starvation.
“Release the hostages. Until then, starve away,” Fine wrote last week on social media. He also called reports of famine “a lie.”
Greene responded to Fine’s remarks, saying, “A Jewish U.S. representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful. His awful statement will actually cause more antisemitism.”
Greene’s words have drawn attention because of her use of the word “genocide,” which no other Republican in Congress has used to describe Israel’s war in Gaza.
Even Trump has begun to speak more openly about conditions in Gaza. On Monday, while visiting Scotland, he told reporters that he was disturbed by images of starving children.
“You can’t fake that,” Trump said. “Those children look very hungry.”
Trump’s words put him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied that Palestinians are starving.
Netanyahu has said that Hamas steals food aid, though The New York Times reported over the weekend that Israeli officials know there is no evidence for that claim.
Donald Trump also acknowledged the disturbing conditions in Gaza
Image credits: Amir Levy/Getty Images
Israel has blocked much of the aid from reaching more than 2 million people in Gaza for months.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while trying to get food near aid sites since May, the U.N. human rights office reported Tuesday.
In Washington, Greene’s comments highlighted the growing debate among some right‑wing figures over U.S. support for Israel. While Greene remains in the minority, other conservative voices have expressed similar concerns.
Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist and podcast host, said Greene’s statement reflects her base.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene just reflects her constituency; I don’t think she’s an outlier at all,” he said.
Matthew Brooks, head of the Republican Jewish Coalition, criticized Greene’s choice of words.
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
He said it was part of a “pattern of her saying outrageous and outlandish, ridiculous things.”
Brooks added that Trump “clearly standing unequivocally with Israel” defines the Republican position.
In the Senate, GOP leaders pushed back against Greene’s statement.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said there is no genocide in Gaza, while his Republican colleague Sen. Thom Tillis called the term inflammatory.
Image credits: Ali Jadallah/Getty Images
But Greene has been breaking ranks with the Republican consensus on Israel for some time. Earlier this month, she accused Israel of bombing a Catholic church in Gaza and said “that entire population is being wiped out.”
She also tried to cut $500 million in U.S. military funding for Israel, though her effort failed, garnering only six votes in the House.
“I tried to cut funding to Israel, Jordan, and other countries as well as cut needless foreign aid. All my amendments failed because Congress refuses to stop their addiction to America last insane spending,” she said on X.
Greene’s position has brought her into rare agreement with Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress. Yet, in the past, Greene tried to censure Tlaib for her pro‑Palestinian views and statements, accusing her of “antisemitic activity” and “sympathizing with terrorists.”
Greene is in rare agreement with Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Anti‑Defamation League (ADL) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have long criticized any use of “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“No way do Israeli policies and actions reach this legal threshold [of being a genocide],” the ADL says on its website.
In an interview with One America News earlier this month, Greene called the actions of these Israel-first organizations “bullying” and called for them to be registered as foreign entities.
“I think these organizations like AIPAC and Christians United for Israel should register under the law as foreign agents because they are lobbying on behalf of Israel,” she said.
She further said on X: “I can unequivocally say that what happened to innocent people in Israel on Oct 7th was horrific. Just as I can unequivocally say that what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific.”
Her remarks place her among the most vocal Republican critics of Israel’s conduct in the war. The decision to break with her party’s stance may be tied to her recent choice not to run for Georgia governor in 2026.
Opposition to Israel has largely come from the political left, and Greene’s use of the word “genocide” may have hurt her standing as a right-wing candidate had she entered the race—although her rhetoric has resonated with segments of the MAGA-aligned Republican base.
“Georgia is long controlled by the good ‘ole boy system and that very established ‘Men Only’ Republican firm is unfortunately over seeing the slow slide from red to blue,” she wrote on X.
Greene recently announced she will not run for Georgia governor next year
“As a woman, none of this appeals to me. As a mother, none of this appeals to me. As a lifelong Georgian and business owner none of this appeals to me,” she added.
Greene’s decision comes after a June appearance at the Georgia Republican Party convention in Dalton, where she told reporters she was considering running for governor.