US Rep. arrived. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on the day of former US President Donald Trump’s scheduled court appearance following his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, US, April 4, 2023.
Caitlin Ochs | Reuters
The Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos both fled the scene of growing protests outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump was arraigned Tuesday.
Greene and Santos joined pro-Trump protesters near the New York courthouse hours before Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts. Greene is listed as the headliner for a 10:30 am rally organized by the New York Young Republican Club.
But within minutes of their separate arrivals, after reporters and counterprotesters surrounded the lawmakers, they both fled the scene. Santos left before the official start time of the protest.
In Greene’s case, demonstrators with whistles and drums drowned him out after he arrived at the rally.
Follow CNBC’s live coverage of Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday.
Right-wing provocateur Greene, in an interview with Right Side Broadcasting, said they left the area after being “swarmed” by protesters.
“We were swarmed. Unbelievably swarmed,” Greene told the outlet after she left the protests.
Representative George Santos, a Republican from New York, speaks to members of the media outside a criminal court in New York, US, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
Stephanie Keith | Bloomberg | Getty Images
He also said he will conduct interviews on Tuesday from inside a car while he is in New York. He later hopes to head to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida, where the former president plans to respond on camera to the indictment against a New York grand jury.
Greene told Right Side Broadcasting that he spoke with Trump on Monday. He said the former president was “totally committed to fighting this injustice,” and apparently compared him to Jesus.
“President Trump joins some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested; served time in prison. Jesus. Jesus was arrested and executed by the Roman government,” said he.
Greene previously tweeted that he “hopes to see everyone in NYC this morning at 10:30 AM at Collect Pond Park to protest the political persecution of President Donald J. Trump.” Santos, who has repeatedly been caught lying about his resume, recently said on Twitter that “the weaponized justice system is going after conservatives with political bias.”
Representatives for Greene and Santos did not return requests for comment.
Santos tweeted in apparent defense of his decision to flee the protest.
The congressman wrote: “Say what you want, I showed you what?”
