In her upcoming book, titled MTG, Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene makes the false claim that no Democrats stayed in the House chamber on January 6 to defend it against rioters sent by Donald Trump. The book, set to be published next week, was obtained by The Guardian.
Greene describes how Republican congressmen barricaded the door with furniture and noticed the absence of Democrats willing to stay and defend the chamber. However, this contradicts the accounts of other politicians, including Jason Crow, a Democratic congressman and former US Army Ranger, who stayed behind to help fellow representatives before being the last to leave. Crow stated that he assisted members in using emergency masks and waited until everyone was safely evacuated.
When confronted with Greene’s claim, Crow dismissed it, stating that Greene exists in a different reality and that her view is completely false. Other Democrats, such as Raúl Grijalva and Ruben Gallego, have also described their efforts to help during the attack.
Greene’s book reportedly contains conspiracy theories and attacks on Democrats, the media, and fellow Republican extremist Lauren Boebert. She claims to have worked tirelessly on objections to state results but was shocked when the Capitol was breached. Greene also alleges that some Republicans carried concealed weapons, despite guns being banned in the House chamber.
According to the House January 6 committee, evacuation took place in stages, with Democratic leaders and Vice President Mike Pence being removed first. The rest of the House was evacuated starting at 2:38 pm, while a rioter was fatally shot by police. Members in the gallery had to wait to be evacuated as rioters were still present in the hallways.
Greene’s book also criticizes the treatment of the rioters and mocks Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler for his age and physical fitness. She questions how older representatives can be safely evacuated if they are physically unable to run.
Overall, Greene’s book perpetuates false claims and conspiracy theories about the events of January 6 and attempts to discredit Democrats and other politicians who defended the House chamber during the attack.
