Marjorie Taylor Greene Clashes with Jasmine Crockett in Heated DOGE Subcommittee Hearing

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Alex Bollinger
February 14, 2025
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8 minutes read

Photograph: Lenin Nolly/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) took aim at Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) on Wednesday following the first hearing of the Republican-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee, a panel that has yet to be formally established or funded by Congress.

During the hearing, Crockett questioned why Republicans were relying on a “tech guy” to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, raising concerns about Elon Musk’s involvement in the process. Newsmax host Carl Higbie defended Musk’s team, citing Luke Farritor—one of three individuals credited with developing an AI program that decoded a scroll from Pompeii—as an example of their capabilities.

“I’d say he’s qualified to do an audit,” Higbie said, arguing that Musk’s associates have the technical expertise to assist with government efficiency efforts. Greene seized the moment to attack Crockett, dismissing her intelligence while framing Democrats as unserious about the national debt.

“Well, that’s a little bit above Miss Crockett’s intelligence level, so she doesn’t really understand that,” Greene remarked. “The reality is Democrats like Miss Crockett and Mr. Garcia pitching their temper tantrums and not being serious about our national debt is exactly why we will win in the midterms.”

Marjorie Taylor — Photograph: Alyssa Pointer/Reuters

Crockett, however, fired back on CNN, calling Musk’s involvement in the committee another example of government handouts benefiting the billionaire. “This is nothing more than another payday for Elon Musk,” Crockett told anchor Jake Tapper. “Because we know that if there is any government welfare to be handed out, it is consistently being handed out to Elon Musk, who stopped all the money to USAID while at the same time deciding that he would get another contract for over $300 million.”

The heated exchange highlights growing tensions over the role of Musk in government operations. While Republicans see his business acumen as an asset in streamlining bureaucracy, Democrats argue that his influence amounts to a financial windfall for one of the world’s richest individuals. As the DOGE subcommittee moves forward under Greene’s leadership, partisan divisions over Musk’s involvement and the legitimacy of the panel itself are likely to remain at the forefront of political debate.