During a heated interview, Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene advised a UK journalist to “go back to [her] own country” while expressing support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite issues with the Signal app. This incident took place on Wednesday, March 26, during a congressional subcommittee hearing titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable,” where officials from National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) appeared to testify.
The hearing, which focused on criticisms often directed by Republicans at PBS and NPR, saw Marjorie Taylor Greene, a representative from Georgia, argue that these networks have become “radical left-wing echo chambers.” When questioned by journalists in the US Capitol Visitor Center, Greene accused NPR of promoting a “communist agenda.”
Sky News journalist Martha Kelner pressed Greene on whether she had seen The Atlantic’s article titled “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans” and its update “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal.” This article, by editor Jeffery Goldberg, described how the journalist was mistakenly added to a Signal chat group that included figures like Defense Secretary Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance.
Greene attempted to dismiss the topic, stating, “We’re talking about NPR and PBS, not The Atlantic.” She insisted that the Trump Administration had declared the information unclassified and criticized the reporter for raising an irrelevant issue.
Despite Kelner’s follow-up pointing out the publication of specific military details, Greene avoided the question, turning instead to another reporter. Later, when Greene opened the floor for more questions, Kelner tried again to inquire about the defense secretary, prompting Greene to interject by questioning Kelner’s nationality.
Upon learning that Kelner was from the UK, Greene retorted: “Okay we don’t give a crap about your opinion and your reporting. Why don’t you go back to your country where you have a major migrant problem?” Greene further dismissed concerns about American safety due to the chat leak, deflecting with comments about UK issues and accusing Kelner of spreading “fake news.”
When an American journalist echoed Kelner’s question, Greene refused to answer, criticizing the Biden Administration for allegedly compromising US borders. Expressing gratitude to Trump for his military policies, Greene claimed the administration was preventing further conflict in Ukraine.
In closing, Greene defended Defense Secretary Hegseth, asserting he did not need to resign over the Signal issues, praising his performance as “a great job.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a minority leader in the US House of Representatives, has called for President Donald Trump to remove Hegseth from his position. Jeffries criticized Hegseth as “the most unqualified Secretary of Defence in American history,” arguing that his leadership endangers national security and the military’s safety.
Jeffries emphasized the seriousness of Hegseth’s actions, which he believes jeopardized American lives and breached legal boundaries. He urged for Hegseth’s immediate dismissal.
In contrast, Trump defended the leaked conversation, asserting it contained no classified information and describing Mike Waltz as a “good man” who had learned a lesson from the incident.