Marjorie Taylor Greene's forward and often unapologetically misleading comments have earned the Republican Congresswoman swathes of admirers and detractors.
Viewed by some as "deranged and demented," the Georgia representative's outspokenness is a critical element of her popularity, despite some of the false and deeply hurtful views she's shared.
However, a recent attempt to stir the pot appears to have failed spectacularly after Greene simply failed to do some basic fact-finding.
The Claim
Multiple tweets, posted on October 19, 2022, claim that Marjorie Taylor Greene incorrectly stated on Truth Social that the Wilder Monument in Chickamuaga, Georgia, honored "Confederate soldiers of the Wilder Brigade."
One tweet stated "There's Republican history, and then there's actual history".
Another stated "First let's find out why you don't know the difference between the Union and Confederate Army."
The Facts
Marjorie Taylor Greene has made a number of controversial statements in the past about the Confederate army, arguing that black people should be "proud" of monuments dedicated to the southern armies.
In 2020, she made an unusual attempt to counter claims that statues of certain American historical figures should not be removed by suggesting that she wouldn't want to see statues of Adolf Hitler or Satan taken down either.
"And whether I see a statue that may be something that I would fully disagree with like Adolf Hitler, maybe a statue of Satan himself, I would not want to say 'take it down'" she claimed.
However, in this most recent case, Greene appears to have made a volte face, after learning that she'd got her facts wrong.
Originally, Taylor Greene wrote: "Tonight, I stopped at the Wilder Monument in Chickamuaga, GA, which honors the Confederate soldiers of the Wilder Brigade. I will always defend our nation's history!"
It was quickly pointed out that the Wilder Monument, honors union soldiers.
The Wilder Monument honors Colonel John T. Wilder's Lightning Brigade, a unit of "citizen soldiers" who were trained to move with "the speed of cavalry and the power of infantry," according to an Indiana State government history.
On September 20, 1863, Wilder's unit saved union forces, repulsing the charge of an entire Confederate infantry division.
The monument was dedicated in 1899, with construction completed in 1903.
Taylor Greene has kept a similar post on her Truth Social just without the word "Confederate." However, the original post was widely shared on social media afterwards.
Unlike Twitter, Truth Social allows users to delete, edit and redraft existing posts. Time stamps on the original post shared on Twitter and the other still on Truth Social, suggest Greene did redraft the message after it was sent.
The Georgia congresswoman is no stranger to backlash. In 2021, Greene was criticized for making comparisons between the COVID-19 pandemic and the Holocaust, later adding that "any rational Jewish person" would also oppose "overbearing" mask mandates.
Newsweek has contacted Marjorie Taylor Greene for comment.
The Ruling
True.
The tower in the Marjorie Taylor Greene post is dedicated to a brigade of union soldiers, not confederate troops. The monument was erected in honor of a citizen brigade which repelled confederate forces heading toward Chatanooga, Georgia, where it now stands. Greene claimed the monument was dedicated to Confederate troops—the comment was later deleted, while another post was edited.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
