Trump Has Praise for 'Future Republican Star'

The outcome of a Tuesday primary runoff isn't the easiest one for GOP leaders: Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the Republican contender for Georgia's solidly red 14th Congressional District, meaning she's likely to take the seat despite her history of embracing the QAnon conspiracy theory ("something worth listening to and paying attention to," she said in 2017) and views that have been branded by some as Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, and racist. Though she finished 19 points ahead of neurosurgeon John Cowan in a June primary, neither crested the 50% mark. That triggered a runoff—along with, at the time, critical remarks about her views from GOP leaders, though of the House leadership, only Minority Whip Steve Scalise actively supported Cowan's campaign. More:

• "Unapogetically conservative." Per CNN, Greene has responded to criticism like so: "If you're a Republican and if you are unapologetically conservative like I am you're going to see people like me called a racist even when it's very unwarranted."
• Congratulations from Trump: President Trump congratulated her on Wednesday, calling her a "future Republican Star." "Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER!", Trump said.

• A "nightmare scenario." Politico's take on her win: It's a "nightmare scenario for some Republican lawmakers and operatives in Washington, DC, and Georgia, who dreaded the idea of such a controversial addition to their party just months after they finally excised Rep. Steve King" and a result "likely [to] set off hand-wringing over whether the establishment should have done more to thwart Greene in the two-month stretch" between her first and second wins.
• Democrats on the attack. The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is already capitalizing on Greene's victory with this statement: "Marjorie Taylor Greene is a next-generation Steve King who is now the Republican nominee for Congress because Minority Leader McCarthy refused to meaningfully oppose her racist candidacy."
• Greene celebrates. Greene's own reaction on Twitter: "WE WON! Thank you for your support! Save America. Stop Socialism. #sass."
• GOP "moves closer to QAnon." With Trump's embrace of Greene, the GOP is moving closer towards association with the baseless far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, Chris Cillizza writes at CNN. While Trump may not be aware of the details of Greene's beliefs, he "has welcomed these fringe candidates and groups to align with the Republican Party," Cillizza writes.
• Pelosi is "going down." In what the Washington Post sees as a "preview of the oratory she would bring to Washington," Greene told supporters Tuesday night that her win is a message to the "arrogant fake-news media." She said "anti-American" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is going down, adding, "We’re going to kick that b---- out of Congress." Reporters were removed from her victory party, but Greene later posted video of her remarks on social media.

(More Election 2020 stories.)