MTG catches Donald Trump begging for the same spy powers he called tyranny when Obama had them
A mess of contradictions.
Marjorie Taylor Greene just called out a major flip-flop from Donald Trump on government surveillance. Hours after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Greene accused Trump of using the attack as an excuse to push for a clean reauthorization of FISA 702, a controversial spy program that lets the government monitor Americans’ communications without a warrant.
It’s a sharp turn from Trump’s past criticism of the program, and Greene isn’t holding back. Greene took to X to slam Trump’s sudden shift, writing, “The President is using his war on Iran and last night’s WHCD shooting as excuses to give up your rights so that Congress just passes a clean extension of FISA 702.”
According to The Daily Beast, Greene didn’t stop there. “It’s ridiculous and absurd that any President who has sworn an oath to uphold the constitution would ever tell Americans to give up your rights so the government has the ability to spy on you, especially a government that has already done it to not only him, but to hundreds of thousands of Americans.”
The FISA debate isn’t an abstract one
FISA 702 allows the government to collect data on nearly 350,000 foreign nationals who communicate with Americans, meaning your calls, texts, and emails could be swept up in the process. The program is set to expire on April 30, and the White House has been pushing hard for an extension, at least through 2027.
But the timing here is what’s really raising eyebrows. Trump has spent years railing against FISA, calling the FBI’s use of it during the Russia investigation a “hoax.” Now, suddenly, he’s all-in on keeping it alive, even if it means sacrificing Americans’ privacy. He’s framing it as a national security necessity.
Earlier this month, Trump said on Truth Social, “While parts of FISA were illegally and unfortunately used against me in the Democrats’ disgraceful Witch Hunt and Attack in the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA Hoax, and perhaps would be used against me in the future, I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!”
He added, “Our Military Patriots desperately need FISA 702, and it is one of the reasons we have had such tremendous SUCCESS on the battlefield.” That’s a pretty dramatic pivot, and Greene isn’t buying it.
She fired back with a simple but cutting question: “The questions you should be asking is why is this so hard for them and why would the President of the United States demand a clean re-authorization of FISA 702 without warrant requirements???” If Trump was so vocal about FISA’s abuses in the past, why isn’t he pushing for reforms now? Why settle for a clean extension when warrant requirements could address the very concerns he’s raised for years?
The House voted to renew FISA 702, but not without drama
Earlier this week, a group of 19 conservative privacy hawks, including Greene, revolted against Republican leadership and blocked the legislation. They wanted stronger protections, like warrant requirements for surveillance of U.S. citizens.
NBC News stated that after some backroom deals, the reauthorization period was cut from five years to two, giving Trump a chance to reshape the law if he wins back the White House. The House also agreed to hold a separate vote on an amendment that would require warrants for searching Americans’ communications collected under FISA 702.
That amendment, led by Rep. Andy Biggs, failed in a tie vote, 212-212. It was a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation, with progressives like Pramila Jayapal and Jerry Nadler joining conservatives like Jim Jordan and Greene in pushing for stronger privacy protections. But the White House fought hard against it, with Attorney General Merrick Garland and national security adviser Jake Sullivan lobbying lawmakers to vote it down.
Their argument? The amendment would make the U.S. “less safe” by limiting the government’s ability to access already-collected intelligence. But Nadler wasn’t having it. He called the FISA bill “completely inadequate” and said it “does not represent real reform” without warrant requirements.
Jayapal echoed those concerns, arguing that Congress needs to close the “back door search loophole” that lets the government snoop on Americans without oversight. Jordan, usually a thorn in the side of Democrats, even thanked his colleagues across the aisle for “working together to defend a fundamental principle.”
However, not everyone was on board
Rep. Mike Turner, chair of the Intelligence Committee, warned that requiring warrants would let “the Communist Party in China, Hezbollah and Hamas get to fully recruit in the United States.” He said, “We would go blind. Our nation would be unsafe.” That’s the same argument the White House has been making, and it’s a big reason why the amendment failed.
Trump’s sudden support for a clean reauthorization is especially confusing given his history with FISA. He’s been one of its loudest critics, blaming it for the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But now, he’s willing to overlook those concerns in the name of national security. It’s a flip-flop that’s hard to ignore, and Greene isn’t the only one calling him out on it.
Even some of his closest allies, like Matt Gaetz, have framed this as a chance for Trump to “fix the system that victimized him more than any other American” if he wins in November. With the deadline fast approaching, there’s not much time left to debate.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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