Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Friday hailed “political prisoners” charged with crimes related to the U.S. Capitol riot as she claimed they are being “tortured” in a kind of “patriots’ wing” of the District of Columbia Jail.
Greene joined Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) in a scheduled tour of the jail Thursday evening with members of the Council of the District of Columbia.
The council members were there to check out problems in the jail’s Central Detention Facility. But Greene and Gohmert also visited a separate section of the jail that houses dozens of people accused in the Jan. 6 riot who are being held pending trial.
Greene compared it to “visiting prisoners of war. The treatment of these men is unacceptable,” she tweeted.
A local council member said Greene’s concern seemed focused on scoring political points.
“Clearly there is an ulterior motive focused on Jan. 6,” said D.C. Council member Charles Allen, who organized the tour and was surprised by the late tagalongs. “I doubt they have a genuine interest in the D.C. residents at the jail,” he told DCist.
One critic on Twitter said a visit from the Georgia Republican could well be considered “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Not many on Twitter were buying Greene’s crocodile tears.
