White House press secretary Jen Psaki hit back at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, for comparing vaccine efforts to Nazi brown shirts
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- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kwanzaa a “fake holiday created by a psychopath.”
- Greene made in the remark in response to a statement by the College Republican National Committee.
- The annual weeklong celebration of African history and culture was first introduced in 1966.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kwanzaa a “fake religion created by a psychopath” on Sunday, as millions begin to celebrate the weeklong holiday.
Greene made in the remark in response to a statement by the College Republican National Committee, a national organization of conservative college students.
“Wishing you a happy and prosperous Kwanza [sic]!” the group posted on Twitter Sunday.
Greene responded to the tweet saying the organization is “turning people away” by posting the holiday greeting.
“Stop. It’s a fake religion created by a psychopath,” Greene wrote. “You aren’t bringing in new voters, you are turning them away. People are tired of pandering and BS.”
—Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) December 26, 2021
Introduced by Professor Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa is an annual weeklong celebration in which African families give gifts, eat traditional meals, and light candles in honor of their ancestors, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and National Geographic.
Greene’s tweet seemed to reference Karenga, who was convicted and sentenced in connection to the 1970 felony assault of two female members of the US Organization, a Black nationalist group based in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Though Greene condemned Kwanzaa — which she incorrectly called a religion — her GOP counterparts previously offered holiday greetings to those who celebrate the holiday.
In 2017, former President Donald Trump issued a statement saying “let us celebrate during this joyous time the richness of the past and look with hope toward a brighter future.”
“As families and friends join to light the Kinara, Melania and I extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a prosperous year to come,” the former president’s statement continued.
In 2013, the Republican National Committee also wished people a happy Kwanzaa.
“Wishing those celebrating a joyous time with loved ones and a time of meaningful reflection ahead of the New Year,” the organization wrote in a tweet.
Insider has reached out to representatives for Greene and the CRNC.
