August 16, 2024
Mike Desisti/USA TODAY
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, shown above on stage at the Republican National Convention in July, will be the special guest for a 'election integrity virtual training' on Sunday with the Lehigh County Republican Committee.
One of former President Donald Trump's most outspoken and controversial supporters in Congress is slated to headline a pair of Pennsylvania GOP events in the coming weeks.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) will be the special guest for the Republican National Committee's "election integrity virtual training" on Sunday.
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"The PA RNC Poll Watcher Training provides a comprehensive overview of Pennsylvania's electoral process, as well as guidance on how Poll Watchers can play an important role in upholding election integrity. You will learn how to observe and report any potential problems that may arise during the voting and tabulation process," according to a Zoom link promoting the event. That same link indicates the event is closed to the press.
This screen capture shows the flyer for the Pennsylvania RNC event featuring U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.Punchbowl News first reported Friday that the training session is with the Lehigh County Republican Committee. The Pennsylvania GOP and Pennsylvania Democratic parties did not immediately reply to requests for comment Friday.
Following Trump's loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Greene falsely claimed that the loss was due to the election being stolen. She also objected to certifying the election results, and has been a vocal supporter of Trump's reelection campaign, and frequent critic of Democrats, particularly those in the progressive wing of the party.
Sunday is not the first event that Republicans have held in Pennsylvania aimed at recruiting poll watchers. In June, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-9th District) held the second stop of a "protect the vote tour" in Bucks County. The training portion of the program for that event was also closed to the press.
The RNC's nationwide campaign seeks to recruit 100,000 poll watchers, poll workers, and legal experts for the 2024 election, with a goal of getting at least 5,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania alone.
On Sept. 3, Greene is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the Washington County Republican Party's Fall dinner.
"We will be asking her to speak her mind, totally unfiltered," the Washington County Republican Party wrote on Facebook promoting the fundraiser.
There are several ticket packages available for the dinner which range from the $5,000 Donald package to the $100 dinner and dessert ticket.
While Greene has become one of the most outspoken conservative voices in Congress since being elected, she's also caused divisions within the Republican Party, and was removed from the conservative House Freedom Caucus in 2023. In a previous session of Congress, she lost her committee assignments with Democrats and a few Republicans voting to remove her from various committees.
Both Pennsylvania events are taking place on opposite sides of the commonwealth that feature different parts of the electorate in the Keystone State.
Lehigh County, located in the Lehigh Valley north of Philadelphia, voted for Biden by just under 8 points over Trump in 2020. Washington County, situated in the southwestern region of the state, voted for Trump by 22 points over Biden in 2020.
