The esteemed CBS television series “60 Minutes” is at the center of controversy after airing the April 2 interview with conservative bigot Marjorie Taylor Greene. The right-wing Georgia rep is known for her racist, homophobic and xenophobic views. Greene has also promoted QAnon movement conspiracy theories, spread misinformation about COVID-19, questioned if 9/11 was real, said school shootings have been staged and called herself a victim of the January 6 insurrection.
Even though all Greene does is spread nothing but hate, that didn’t stop “60 Minutes” from having her as a guest. The outrage started on March 31 when the show’s Twitter account revealed stills from the upcoming segment with the caption: “Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, nicknamed MTG, isn’t afraid to share her opinions, no matter how intense and in-your-face they are. She sits down with Lesley Stahl this Sunday on 60 Minutes.”
Many noted that the network was minimizing the harm Greene inflicts on marginalized communities with her disgusting rhetoric. She isn’t “intense” or “in-your-face”—she’s a white supremacist. Critic and author Elie Mystal noted how by amplifying Greene, CBS is showing how complicit they are with her heinous agenda. Of course, the interview was just as bad as anticipated.
During her sit-down with Stahl, Greene called Democrats the “party of pedophiles.” She kept pushing this notion by saying “they support grooming children… Even Joe Biden himself supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries.” Greene also stated that even though Democrats call her racist and anti-Semitic, she’s just “calling out the truth.”
She still insists that the 2020 election was stolen even though her own party has admitted it wasn’t. And despite the fact that Greene willingly tells lies to anyone who’ll listen, “60 Minutes” categorized her behavior as “brazen gutsiness.” Greene took to Twitter to thank Stahl before the interview aired, though she spelled her name wrong.
“It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon Leslie Stahl,” she said. “Leslie is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly.” This interview was nothing but a cheap ploy by CBS solely for ratings—there is no reason to boost someone as dangerous and abominable as Greene.
Hopefully, this is the last time they pull such a pathetic stunt.