In a tense Sunday interview, NBC News anchor Kristen Welker confronted Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene over her past association with a known white nationalist and her controversial remarks comparing COVID-19 pandemic policies to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany.
A Contentious Interview on "Meet the Press"
The exchange occurred on January 4th, just one day before Greene's final day in Congress. Welker opened the line of questioning by referencing the Georgia lawmaker's widely criticized 2022 appearance at the America First Political Action Conference, an event organized by Nick Fuentes.
"In 2022, you did speak at a conference organized by Nick Fuentes. He's a white nationalist. He recently said that Hitler is, quote, 'Cool,'" Welker stated. She then pressed Greene directly: "Do you believe there is room in the Republican Party for Nick Fuentes and anyone who shares that ideology, that Hitler is cool?"
Deflecting to Free Speech and COVID-19 Grievances
Greene, who announced her resignation from Congress in November following a public rift with former President Donald Trump, avoided answering the question directly. Instead, she pivoted to a broad defense of the First Amendment.
"I will always defend the First Amendment and free speech, no matter what kind of speech it is," Greene replied. She expressed concern about what she described as a move toward "censorship," specifically citing her own experiences during the pandemic.
Greene's Twitter and Facebook accounts were suspended in January 2022 for repeatedly spreading COVID-19 misinformation. She told Welker she was permanently banned from Twitter for speaking out against the FDA's "rushed approval" of COVID vaccines and for opposing lockdowns and mask mandates.
Confrontation Over Holocaust Comparisons
Welker then directly challenged Greene on one of her most inflammatory past statements. "During COVID, you did compare lockdowns to the Holocaust," Welker stated, before attempting to circle back to Fuentes's praise of Hitler.
Greene immediately interrupted, claiming she was misquoted. "No, that's a misquote. Kirsten, that's a misquote... I compared vaccine cards, being forced to take a vaccine in order to be able to keep a job or buy or sell, or be able to be admitted to restaurants. I compared that," she asserted.
She then walked back her clarification even further, stating, "I was not comparing. The Holocaust was horrible. I'm not comparing anything to that." This contradicted the historical record; several months before her social media suspensions, Greene faced significant backlash for explicitly comparing then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to maintain mask mandates on the House floor to the Nazis' persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust. She later apologized for those remarks.
Throughout the interview, Greene, who has a documented history of making racist and antisemitic comments, refused to denounce Nick Fuentes or his ideology. She claimed not to know him personally, saying, "I don't even have his phone number," and defended her decision to speak at his event because it was "largely attended by young Americans."
She concluded her defense by stating, "I'm not going to engage in weighing in on who deserves to be where," effectively sidestepping any moral judgment on the white nationalist organizer and his followers.
