The mother of one of the victims of the 2018 Parkland school shooting said she was with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Spoke after the freshman lawmaker was hit with widespread comments last week for bizarre comments she made on social media, including one suggesting the shooting was a “false flag.”
According to Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son, Scott Beigel, was killed in the attack, Greene didn’t say major school shootings of the past decade were either false flags or staged. But, Schulman said, Greene refused to join her publicly rejecting them along with her on MSNBC.
“It’s wrong, it’s just wrong,” Schulman said during an interview with “Weekends with Alex Witt,” when asked about her views on Greene’s doctoral conspiracies about prominent mass shootings. “She can’t tell lies,” added Schulman.
She said a congressman helped put her in touch with Greene, and they spoke about Zoom on Saturday.
“When we started our conversation, I was completely outspoken and told Congressman Greene that I would be on MSNBC today,” said Schulman. “Parameters were set and the only topic discussed was the school shootings in Parkland and Sandy Hook and that the conversation would be completely confidential. Our conversation went very well.”
She described the conversation as “friendly and cordial,” and that Greene said it was okay for Schulman to share some of their discussion as she pleased.
“My first question to Congressman Greene was, Do you really believe Parkland and Sandy Hook were false flags and staged?” Schulman said. ‘That was a very important question for me. Until now I cannot understand that anyone could say such a thing. Her answer was unequivocally no, I don’t know. ‘
Schulman said that while she “really wanted” to trust Greene, she felt she couldn’t.
Unless she wants to come out in front of the public and correct the wrong lies that are being embraced out there and deny the things she said, no, I can’t believe it, Schulman said, adding, “Maybe inside of her believes She it, I don’t know. I have no idea. I’m not inside her, but you can, words are very powerful, but actions speak louder than words. “
Greene’s office did not immediately return a request for comment from NBC News.
Greene first came under scrutiny last week following a CNN review of her Facebook page, which revealed that she liked posts calling for violence against prominent Democrats while promoting extremist conspiracy theories in recent years. She was also criticized for a video she posted to YouTube last year, in which she harassed Parkland survivor David Hogg, who is now a prominent gun control activist. Greene has also expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy in the past.
Republican politicians were pressured on Sunday about how the party should respond to Greene, who is now facing calls for expulsion from Congress or removal from the committees she sits on.
“The people in her district elected her and that should mean a lot,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, told ABC’s “This Week.” “They elected her and she will run for re-election and she will be responsible for what she said and her actions.”
Asked about Greene’s comments on Facebook prior to her conference run in which she expressed support for the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., As CNN reported, Hutchinson said, “I’m not going to answer that question if she’s fit. serve because she believes in something that not everyone accepts. “
“I reject that,” he said. But she’s facing reelection. I don’t think we should punish people from a disciplinary point of view or a party point of view because they think a little bit differently. ‘
“I wouldn’t vote for her,” he added later.
Greene has not withdrawn and announced on Saturday that former President Donald Trump recently called her to show his support. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Will meet with Greene later this week, a senior GOP assistant told NBC News.
“I would certainly vote her out of the committee,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., To NBC’s “Meet the press“on Sunday.” In terms of deportation, I’m not sure … I think a district has every right to put whoever they want there. But we have every right to take a stand and say you’re not going to get a commission, and we certainly should. “
In an interview with CNN’s State of the Union, Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said, “Republican leaders should stand up and say that what she said is totally unacceptable.”
“I saw a few videos this weekend,” he said. And one had to do with violence, as I see it. And there is no room for violence in our political dialogue. Incidentally, there is no room for violence in our country. I mean, this is something we have to get away with. So yes, I think people should speak clearly. “
He said it “would not be surprised” that she would lose her committee assignment to the House Education and Labor Committee.
“And, you know, I think that’s the way to send a message,” he said. The voters who elected her in her Georgia district must be respected. On the other hand, if that kind of behavior occurs, there must be a strong response. ‘