DALTON — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, tried to dismiss media reports that she supported violence against Democratic politicians in social media posts, but the posts have resurfaced and Democrats are not buying her claims. 

CNN reported Tuesday the controversial freshman congresswoman “repeatedly indicated support for executing prominent Democratic politicians in 2018 and 2019 before being elected to Congress.” The report was the result of a CNN KFile review of hundreds of posts and comments from Greene’s Facebook page.

“In one post, from January 2019, Greene liked a comment that said ‘a bullet to the head would be quicker’ to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” CNN’s KFile reported. “In other posts, Greene liked comments about executing FBI agents who, in her eyes, were part of the ‘deep state’ working against Trump.”

Greene, who represents the 14th Congressional District which includes Whitfield and Murray counties, has come under fire for supporting QAnon conspiracy theories and repeating baseless claims of election fraud in support of Donald Trump.

Greene through a spokesman declined an interview Wednesday. Nick Dyer, Greene’s communications director, said she did not make the Facebook posts in question.

Before CNN published its story Tuesday, Greene tweeted, “Over the years, I’ve had teams of people manage my pages. Many posts have been liked. Many posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views. Especially the ones that CNN is about to spread across the internet. They are taking old Facebook posts from random users to try to cancel me and silence my voice.”

“None of those are her words,” Dyer said. “There were screenshots of her liking different posts. But if you read her statement, she doesn’t recall doing that, and she has had friends over the years who have helped her manage her Facebook page who may have done that.”

But some members of Congress, including one Georgia representative, don’t buy that claim.

Republican lawmakers — like Greene — have been harshly criticized for their role in amplifying false election fraud claims from President Donald Trump that riled his supporters. After the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where a pro-Trump mob stormed the hallways, prominent Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for an end to the conspiracy theories and warned of the damage violent rhetoric can have on democracy.

“This is dangerous and unacceptable for a member of Congress. We’re entrusted to serve and represent all of our constituents. This extreme and violent rhetoric only fans the flames of division, and we’ve just seen how deadly those flames can be,” Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock said in a tweet.

“This kind of dangerous rhetoric is a threat to our national security,” U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, said. “It only fans the flames of hatred and lawlessness we saw during the Jan. 6 domestic terrorist attack. Any lawmaker wishing harm on their colleagues instead of legislating and doing the work in the best interest of the people they represent does not belong in public service.”

State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, a Republican from Dalton, said he had “heard bits and pieces” of the CNN story but added Wednesday he has been busy at the state Capitol and had not had a chance to read the story.

Asked if Greene’s comments and likes were embarrassing to the 14th District, Carpenter said, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s embarrassing, but it’s time to get to work. Elections are over. It’s time to roll your sleeves up and get to work, and you won’t get much work done if you just continue the political posturing. I think she can do that. But she needs to quit all the crazy stuff.”

He said that includes her attempt to impeach President Joe Biden. On Jan. 22, Greene filed articles of impeachment against Biden.

“I don’t think that gets us any closer to making decisions that can help Georgia,” he said. “There’s a time to send a shot across the bow and a time to get to work. Now is the time to get to work.”

Carpenter supported John Cowan, Greene’s opponent, in the Republican Party primary and runoff for the 14th Congressional District seat.

In Whitfield County, Republican Party Chairman Dianne Putnam has known Greene for more than a year and a half and said she has never heard her call for violence. Putnam said she cannot see Greene “liking” violent Facebook posts.

Putnam said calls for violence do not represent the views of the 14th Congressional District or the Republican Party, and she does not believe they represent Greene’s views.

Asked if she believes Greene’s claims that others managing her Facebook page may have liked those comments, Putnam said that sounds believable.

Putnam met Greene in 2019 when she was planning to run against incumbent Democrat Lucy McBath in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District and Putnam invited her to speak to the Whitfield County Republican Party. After U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, announced his retirement from the 14th Congressional District seat, Greene dropped out of the race against McBath and moved to the 14th District to run for that open seat.

Greene has a meeting with some constituents at 6 p.m. today in Dalton.