Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines Wednesday after posting what she said was one of the last messages she received from conservative activist Charlie Kirk before his death. The Georgia congresswoman shared a screenshot of the text on X, showing Kirk inviting her to speak at Turning Point USA’s annual America Fest conference and suggesting she take part in a debate about AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group.
Greene, who has been one of the few Republicans openly critical of AIPAC, tied the message to her larger concerns about the group and its influence. Last month, she accused AIPAC of “representing the secular government of a nuclear armed Israel 100%.”
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is the only other Republican lawmaker to echo her call for AIPAC to register as a foreign lobby under FARA, which would force it to disclose its contacts with U.S. officials and follow stricter compliance rules.
AIPAC has strongly pushed back, saying it advocates for Americans who support a close U.S.-Israel relationship and is not a foreign agent. The group has also targeted both Greene and Massie over their comments.
In her post, Greene wrote, “Charlie Kirk invited me to speak at Amfest a few weeks ago before he was martyred. This was after I called for AIPAC to register under FARA and said that the nuclear armed secular government of Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and killing innocent children, Christians, and people. He asked if I wanted to debate about AIPAC but made it clear NOT against him.”
She then warned her followers not to allow what she called a “foreign country” to take over Turning Point USA, the conservative organization Kirk founded. Her words mirrored those of Tucker Carlson, who just days earlier criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for calling Kirk a “lion-hearted friend of Israel” hours after his death. Carlson described the immediate statements from foreign leaders as “disgusting,” accusing them of using Kirk’s killing to push political agendas.
Greene doubled down in her post, writing, “Do not allow a foreign country, foreign agents, and another religion tell you about Charlie Kirk. And I hope a foreign country and foreign agents and another religion does not take over Christian Patriotic Turning Point USA.”
Her comments highlight an unusual and growing rift among Republicans over AIPAC’s role in U.S. politics. While most GOP lawmakers remain firmly supportive of Israel and its lobbying network in Washington, Greene and Massie have increasingly framed the group as serving foreign interests at the expense of American voters.
The debate comes at a time when tensions around U.S. support for Israel are already running high due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Greene’s choice to link Kirk’s final outreach to her with these issues has only added fuel to an already heated political fight.
The fallout from Kirk’s death, paired with Greene’s sharp warnings, suggests Turning Point USA may soon find itself at the center of the larger battle within the Republican Party over what it means to support Israel, who gets to define American conservatism, and who has influence over one of the country’s most prominent right-wing youth movements.