- They are known as the MAGA squad.
It is a small group of freshman Republicans
who just came to Congress, really campaigning on the fact
that they want to make sure that Trump's policies
and Trump's rhetoric and style
are also the staple of the Republican Party.
- There's some real nasty ones I work with.
You know, some of the Squad members, like Ilhan Omar.
- The group very much believes they were sent to Capitol Hill
to defend former President Donald Trump,
his policies, his political style,
and stand up for a lot
of what they're hearing from their constituents.
- Madam Speaker, I have constituents
outside this building right now.
I promised my voters to be their voice.
- They want to make sure not just Democrats,
but also the establishment Republican Party,
is held to account.
- I want to tell you, Republican voters support him still.
The party is his.
- Of course, the base of this group
is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia,
and she, since earlier this year,
has been saying that she wants to hold
the Republican Party accountable,
that she is the one who will make sure
that Republicans who have been in Congress for a long time,
or even those who are also pro-Trump
but maybe not as forceful,
definitely are constantly supporting Trump policies.
- Do you respect the Republican leadership right now?
- No, no, I don't respect them at all.
- You've really seen this group that's also made up
of another freshman congresswoman,
Lauren Boebert of Colorado --
-And there's not a rule banning firearms from the hearing.
- Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina.
They're really backed up by the Freedom Caucus.
They, of course, were a group that came to be
almost a decade ago and were considered the rabble-rousers.
And some of those people are pretty known names,
like Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows,
who is Trump's former chief of staff,
actually established that group.
And we've definitely seen, over the last several years,
a lot of more political toxicity.
Now you're seeing a lot of those tensions happening in person,
that rhetoric that has been brewing online play out
in real time, in person.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene
was spotted earlier this year
chasing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez --
of course, basically, the face of the Squad.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, I'm an American citizen.
I pay your salary.
- They're not afraid to use this very inflammatory rhetoric,
of course, which is not true,
and physically go after some of their colleagues.
She explained why she did that as,
"I want to make sure and hold Democrats accountable.
They say that they're for this and that.
Well, why won't you debate me?" - She's a chicken.
She doesn't want to debate the Green New Deal.
- I was going to say,
I don't think the debate has been agreed to yet.
- She does keep discussing it, but it's not a thing, you know?
And so I'm concerned about her perceptions of reality.
- Congresswoman Lauren Boebert was,
as she said, making jokes on the campaign trail.
She said that she was in an elevator
with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar -- -Well, lookit, there,
it's the Jihad Squad.
[laughter and applause] -Who, of course, is one
of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.
- I said, "Well, she doesn't have a backpack.
We should be fine."
[laughter] -Very much making what many people see
and consider to be a racist and Islamophobic joke.
Republicans are also getting these death threats, too,
because of this group.
When 13 Republicans in the House
have voted on a bipartisan infrastructure bill,
Marjorie Taylor Greene
posted all of their office phone numbers
and basically said, "Have at it."
- I hope you [bleep] die. I hope your [bleep] family dies.
I hope everybody in your [bleep] staff dies.
- McCarthy's leadership style is very much to deal
with this group one-on-one,
not necessarily publicly condemning them in any way.
- Then they have the other committee assignments.
They may have better committee assignments.
- That's simply because he does want
to become speaker of the House,
and he knows that he can't alienate Trump.
- When was the last time you spoke to Donald Trump?
- Uh, this morning.
- He does admit that it is a problem
whenever this very pro-Trump group causes distractions,
but you're not gonna see him publicly condemn them
in a way that Democrats especially want to see.
- I have lots of friends. I talk to a lot of people.