OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is known for her ‘take no political prisoners’ style, and she appears to have a staff to match her fiery personality. On Wednesday, a CNN self-proclaimed “fact-checker” likely did not receive the response he may have anticipated when he sought to press the Georgia Republican’s team for answers on topics such as former President Donald Trump’s assertions about the 2020 election and fatalities linked to fentanyl smuggling.
Senior CNN reporter Daniel Dye, whose Twitter bio says he is “fact-checking the president, 2024 candidates, others,” noted on Twitter Wednesday in a post containing a video clip of the Georgia Republican discussing drug overdoses with a tearful witness during a congressional hearing.
“I asked Greene’s office last night about her tweet blaming the Biden administration for these deaths in 2020 under Trump. Spokesman Nick Dyer responded by saying lots of people have died from drugs under Biden and ‘do you think they give a f***k about your bullsh*t fact checking?’ Dye tweeted.
In a follow-up, he said: “I also gave Greene congressional spokesman Nick Dyer an opportunity to comment regarding Greene’s multiple false claims yesterday about the 2020 election, such as the lies that Trump won Georgia and that there were thousands of dead voters there. His response: ‘F*** off.'”
I also gave Greene congressional spokesman Nick Dyer an opportunity to comment regarding Greene’s multiple false claims yesterday about the 2020 election, such as the lies that Trump won Georgia and that there were thousands of dead voters there. His response: “Fuck off.”
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 1, 2023
While the witness’s sons were both killed by lethal doses of fentanyl during the Trump administration, fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed under the Biden administration, as has smuggling of the drug from Mexico amid lax border security policies that have also seen a surge of illegal migrant crossings, according to the National Safety Council.
“The majority of preventable drug overdose deaths (77%) involve opioids, totaling 75,785 in 2020. Opioid drugs include both prescription and illicit drug categories,” the NSC noted in a web post. “The drug category most frequently involved in preventable opioid overdoses and growing at the fastest pace is ‘synthetic opioids other than methadone.’ This category includes fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol.”
The organization added: “The fentanyl category of opioids accounted for 67,325 preventable deaths in 2021, representing a 26% increase over the 53,480 total in 2020.”
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who has been covering the border and immigration-related issues since Biden has been in office, tweeted on Tuesday: “NEW: Per federal source, Border Patrol has now seized over 800 lbs of fentanyl between ports of entry in the last 4 months. In the same time frame, CBP reports seizing at least 12,000 lbs of fentanyl at POEs since 10/1. DEA says 2.2 lbs = potentially 500,000 lethal doses.”
NEW: Per federal source, Border Patrol has now seized over 800 lbs of fentanyl between ports of entry in the last 4 months.
In the same time frame, CBP reports seizing at least 12,000 lbs of fentanyl at POEs since 10/1.
DEA says 2.2 lbs = potentially 500,000 lethal doses.— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 28, 2023
Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), added in a tweet containing a video clip of Melugin on Fox News: “Enough fentanyl to kill the entire West coast of the United States was found this week in South Orange County nearby #CA40. The border crisis is real & impacting Americans each day. The Biden administration must come to the table so we can find solutions.”
Enough fentanyl to kill the entire West coast of the United States was found this week in South Orange County nearby #CA40. The border crisis is real & impacting Americans each day.
The Biden administration must come to the table so we can find solutions. @BillFOXLA pic.twitter.com/lHzJ8bLeWy
— Young Kim (@RepYoungKim) March 1, 2023
Greene made headlines last month when she demanded an audit of the financial aid that has been given to Ukraine by the United States. She added that she planned to re-introduce legislation to audit the tens of billions of dollars that have been given to Ukraine.
“It’s going to force Congress to give the American people an audit,” she said to Fox News host Tucker Carlson “And that is exactly what the American people need, an audit of Ukraine because we have no idea where all this money’s going.”
“I’m introducing this resolution, and I’m looking forward to seeing my Republican colleagues support it. There’s not bipartisan support among the American people for fighting a war in Ukraine that does nothing for Americans except force them to pay for it,” the GOP representative said.
“Ukraine is the new Iraq,” she added. “Our country is run by stupid warmongers that are so clueless and disconnected with what the American people want that they are literally leading us into World War III. That’s why I’m introducing a resolution to find out exactly where our money is going.”
