Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Overthrow” the Government — A Lawmaker’s Dangerous Rhetoric

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) set off a fresh round of alarm this week after telling a podcaster that the nation’s so-called “forgotten” Americans could — and should — “overthrow” the federal government if they chose to do so.

Speaking on the Shipwreck podcast, Greene framed the idea as populist empowerment. “I call them the forgotten American man and woman,” she said, arguing that this bloc — “about 100 million Americans” in her estimate — could “rein in” Washington by refusing to pay taxes and otherwise defying federal authority. In her words: “Let’s say 100 million Americans that say, f— you to the government and refuse to pay their taxes. This is how to do it.”

Greene doubled down on the outrage playbook that’s defined much of her public life: the federal government has “screwed you over,” she said, accusing Washington of shortchanging retirees and failing to serve everyday Americans. Her rant blended grievance politics with explicit talk of civil disobedience — or worse, insurrection — packaged as a lesson in political leverage.

Why this matters

There are three reasons Greene’s comments demand attention:

1. A House member talking about overthrow is not normal political theater. Elected officials have an outsized platform and responsibilities. When a sitting U.S. representative publicly muses about mass tax refusal or overthrowing the government, the line between rhetorical anger and real-world consequence becomes perilously thin.

2. The legal and civic stakes are high. Encouraging large-scale refusal to pay taxes or overthrow federal institutions can cross into criminal territory. Even if intended as rhetorical hyperbole, such statements risk normalizing illegal behavior and stoking unrest.

3. It’s a window into a broader phenomenon. Greene’s language is emblematic of a faction of American politics that channels grievance into calls for radical action. That fuels polarization, undermines trust in institutions, and corrodes civic norms that are essential to democratic governance.

Reactions and context

Greene’s recent remarks echo past comments from fringe figures and fringe movements that have flirted with anti-government violence. Some House colleagues have privately criticized her rhetoric in the past; others have amplified it. The clip is likely to deepen divisions inside the GOP between those who favor hardline, confrontational messaging and those who fear the political (and legal) price of such escalation.

Political speech that calls for rebellion or organized lawbreaking carries consequences beyond headlines: it can inspire copycats, complicate law enforcement responses to protests, and further erode the norms that keep democracy functioning.

Bottom line

America’s democracy rests on a fragile mix of rule of law, civic restraint, and institutions that can be debated and reformed at the ballot box. Elected officials who flirt with overthrow-level rhetoric are doing more than courting controversy — they are testing those very foundations. Rhetoric that urges mass tax refusal or regime change isn’t just provocative; it’s dangerous. Public leaders should be accountable for the consequences of their words.