Jon Stewart Calls Marjorie Taylor Greene A “Bridge Troll”

Some individuals in Congress seem to be there for the sheer pleasure of causing havoc and creating sound bytes for social media, rather than for any real intent to work and make things better for the American people. Unfortunately, there appear to be more and more of those people on both the far right and the far left, and the American public have to watch these people make fools of themselves on the national stage in our name.

Marjorie Taylor Green Taking the National Stage

One such individual who has gone out of her way to make a name for herself is the Georgia Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene. She was first elected into office in 2020, and has been a staunch supporter of former president, Donald Trump, ever since she was first sworn into her office.

In the years since Marjorie Taylor Greene, also known as MTG, has taken office in Congress, she has become known for her extremist and outrageous takes. One of the most famous incidents with MTG was her “Jewish space laser” comment, where she claimed that California wildfires were caused by “space solar generators” that were backed by mysterious, powerful backers.

A Proponent of the Big Lie

While the Jewish space laser’s comment didn’t happen while MTG was in Congress proper – it was a comment that was shared on Facebook in 2018 – it became widespread information after the fact. She has since been a huge proponent of the Big Lie in Congress, and has repeatedly pushed false narratives in the pursuit of hers, and Donald Trump’s agenda.

Among the ways that she has been pushing said agenda includes supporting a motion in Congress that would, conclusively, state that Donald Trump had not incited an insurrection due to his actions before and on January 6, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Many believed that she supported this bill in pursuit of protecting herself for her alleged actions that day, but in protecting herself, she’s also supported Donald Trump.

Most Recently: The State of the Union

Her extremist actions and loud behavior has made MTG fodder for many news and talk shows. She’s one of the more unpopular individuals in Congress, with both Republican and Democratic individuals calling her out for her outrageous behavior, which many have said makes the rest of Congress look just as bad.

Her most recent actions that were made public took place during the most recent State of the Union address. MTG came into the House chamber fully decked out in MAGA wear, and spent the entirety of the address catcalling and booing Biden while he made his speech to Congress and the Nation.

MTG Threatened With Removal

MTG was, when she first arrived in Congress for the State of the Union, threatened with removal if she wouldn’t remove the hat. This is due to rules of conduct in the chamber, but MTG refused to take her hat off despite a warning from the Sergeant at Arms.

While it’s true that Congress doesn’t have a formal dress code, House rules dictate that the government premises should not be used for conducting “campaign or political activities.” Wearing a MAGA hat to the State of the Union address can’t be seen as anything other than blatantly political, and MTG knew that.

A Badge Featuring Laken Riley

MTG also wore a badge featuring the face of Laken Riley, who is a 22-year-old nursing student who was allegedly murdered by an undocumented immigrant. MTG was not the only Republican wearing a pin that featured Riley’s face, despite the fact that her parents were invited as special guests to the SOTU and they declined out of desire to mourn their daughter’s death privately.

MTG has been a staunch and repeated critic of President Biden’s border policy, supporting many claims pushed by former President Trump that the border is the worst that it’s ever been, specifically due to Biden policies. She’s called on Biden to address the murder of Riley multiple times since the incident occurred, saying, “Say her name!” during the SOTU speech.

Under Fire From the Media

These stunts at the State of the Union have brought MTG under fire from both liberal media outlets and talk shows. In particular, Jon Stewart has gone out of his way to call out MTG on his show, calling her a “bridge troll” in the most recent criticism of the Georgia Congresswoman.

Stewart shared a clip of Biden approaching the Capitol on his Monday episode of The Daily Show, where it showed the President surrounded on all sides by senators, including Greene wearing her MAGA hat.

Stewart’s Commentary

“And so, Biden entered the House Chamber, navigating through our divided congress and barely, barely, getting past the bridge troll who guards the podium,” Stewart commented. The video zoomed in on Greene during his “bridge troll” comment, making it clear who he was talking about.

The audience appreciated the comment, and the video has since made waves on social media in liberal circles. Greene and Jon Stewart have both been contacted for a comment to Newsweek, but as yet have not responded.

Multiple Jabs at Greene

This is not the first time that Stewart has commented on Greene’s clothing or behavior during her time in Congress, or even this week. After the State of the Union, The Daily Show X account, formerly known as Twitter, posted, comparing her attire to the staff uniform at TGI Friday’s.

While there were many who saw the humor in Stewart’s joke, there was also significant backlash to the comment. There were many who believed that the ill-timed joke was mocking Laken Riley’s death, and that it was a poor decision made in a time where tact is all-important.

Caution Going Forward

Commentary on Greene’s wild actions is par for the course in this political climate, and it doesn’t appear to have daunted her chances of getting reelected in her district this fall. Greene’s district is a heavily Republican district, making her chances of getting reelected fairly safe, regardless of what outlandish behavior she engages in.

Even so, Greene’s support of Trump and the far-right Freedom Caucus are concerning. Her behavior at the State of the Union is only one aspect of the ways that her views are challenging democracy, and unless more attention is drawn to her and the harm that she causes, it’s very possible that not only will she and Trump’s allies continue, but they’ll double down even more than they already have.