A group of Fox News pundits did not hold back their criticism of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) after she abruptly ended a phone interview and verbally lashed out at a reporter questioning her stance on former President Donald Trump’s past decision to bomb Iran.
The incident was a focal point during Sunday’s broadcast of Media Buzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz, who highlighted Greene’s decision to post a video of herself cursing at the journalist before hanging up.
“Does the Congresswoman seem a little defensive in the way she handled that reporter?” Kurtz asked, directing the question to left-leaning commentator Leslie Marshall.
“Sorry, a little?” Marshall responded with a laugh. “There’s no reason for this. We need to get back to decency, decorum, respect.” Marshall went on to stress that public officials must maintain professionalism even under scrutiny.
“You can disagree with somebody, even somebody asking hard questions, and not swear and not yell and not hang up on them,” she continued. “It is a fair question because Marjorie Taylor Greene has flip-flopped and waffled herself between her support for the president and then things that she has criticized him for, or has been more with some of the Tea Party members like Rand Paul.”
The panel also featured conservative journalist Caroline Downey, who surprisingly agreed with the criticism, expressing her discomfort with the trend of politicians recording and posting confrontational moments with reporters online.
“Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of all of these new trends of filming yourself in public with reporters, all that,” Downey said. “Call me an old soul, but I’m not a huge fan of it.”
The criticism from both sides of the political spectrum marked a rare moment of bipartisan disapproval, as Greene’s conduct was called into question not for her political views, but for her reaction to journalistic inquiry.
The reporter in question had asked Greene to clarify her evolving views on Trump’s foreign policy decisions, particularly the targeted airstrike against Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Greene has at times voiced both support for and criticism of Trump, creating confusion about her current position.
The backlash from the Media Buzz panel adds to a growing chorus of public figures urging elected officials to handle press scrutiny with professionalism, even when confronted with difficult or uncomfortable questions.
As Greene continues to draw attention for her controversial communication style, this latest episode may further amplify concerns about political decorum in an already polarized media environment.