HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was not pleased with a visit paid by Delegate Michael San Nicolas and members of the Guam National Guard to her office in an attempt to meet her and deliver cookies and publications about the island she incorrectly referred to as a foreign country.
Greene has written to the chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Secretary of Defense, lumping the event with what she called a “dangerous and troubling trend in which members of our armed forces are being used to intimidate members of Congress and their staff, and attack conservative journalists for expressing their views.”
The freshman Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives posted the letter to her social media accounts. Greene asserted that actions by the Biden administration to deploy military personnel to the U.S. Capitol following the violent protests held by Trump supporters on Jan. 6 “are a testimony to the complete politicization and misuse of our armed forces.”
Greene said the San Nicolas visit was meant to “ambush my office unannounced and subsequently video record my staff without solicitation or consent.”
San Nicolas was interviewed by CNN’s Brianna Kellar about the incident and addressed allegations of politicizing military personnel.
“That criticism is unfounded,” he told the media outlet. “We were not at all using military service members for political props. I was taking my guardsmen on a tour of the Capitol, and we stopped by several members’ offices and we delivered some goodies. Cookies should never be considered a political prop, and neither should our military. But goodwill is absolutely something we wish to extend from Guam to everybody.”
When reached for comment, the Guam National Guard reiterated a previous statement from Adjutant Gen. Esther Aguigui that reaffirmed the Guam National Guard is a “nonpartisan entity,” and provided a Department of Defense directive that defines partisan political activity as activity supporting or relating to candidates representing, or issues specifically identified with, national or state political parties and associated or ancillary organizations or clubs.
“As there were no candidates present, and no issues were specifically identified with regard to political parties, the actions of our troops should not fit the definition of partisan activity,” Capt. Mark Scott, spokesperson for the Guam National Guard told The Guam Daily Post.
Sen. Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, who chairs the Guam Legislature’s committee with oversight of the Guam National Guard, said, “We as CHamorus all felt disrespected when Representative Greene did not recognize the role that Guam has played in the national defense of our country. No career soldier with the Guard should have to face consequences for their participation in what was essentially an educational mission,” Terlaje said, adding, “Shame on Representative Greene.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene
