Republican US House of Representatives legislator Marjorie Taylor Greene has been fending off ridicule for a Facebook post alluding to a wide-ranging, purportedly anti-Semitic-tinged conspiracy theory which unleashed the #JewishSpaceLasers hashtag on Twitter.
In the since-deleted, 2018-dated post, revealed by Media Matters on Thursday, Greene, known for promoting QAnon conspiracy theories, reportedly made several unsubstantiated claims about the cause of California's wildfires.
In November 2018, California was hit with the worst wildfire in the state’s history, which, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, destroyed “a total of 153,336 acres, resulting in 85 civilian fatalities and several firefighter injuries”.
At the time, future Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) purported that the fire, ‘conveniently targeting’ the route of the planned California High-Speed Rail project, had been started deliberately, using a laser from space, or accidentally, by a solar power-generating satellite.
Conspiracy theorists have pushed the explanation that the ravaging Camp Fire, that started on 8 November 2018, was unleashed for financial profit or to clear space for California’s high-speed rail system.
The California High Speed Rail System is going up and CETCO Shore PAC is on the Job! pic.twitter.com/w7EAdVfC8n
— George M. Dugan (@GeorgeMDugan1) February 2, 2017
In the post, Greene wrote that “there are too many coincidences to ignore” regarding the fire, adding that then-California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) was pushing for the construction of the rail project and “oddly there are all these people who have said they saw what looked like lasers or blue beams of light causing the fires.”
Furthermore, the Republican speculated that the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish banking family frequently referred to in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric), space solar power company Solaren, and California officials, such as PG&E board member Roger Kimmel, US Senator for California Dianne Feinstein, her husband Richard Blum, former California governor Jerry Brown, and Solaren board member Michael Peevey were all implicated.
“If they are beaming the sun's energy back to Earth, I’m sure they wouldn’t ever miss a transmitter receiving station right??!! I mean mistakes are never made when anything new is invented. What would that look like anyway? A laser beam or light beam coming down to Earth I guess. Could that cause a fire? Hmmm, I don’t know. I hope not! That wouldn’t look so good for PG&E, Rothschild Inc, Solaren or Jerry Brown who sure does seem fond of PG&E,” the Facebook post reportedly read.
As the post by Marjorie Taylor Greene was resurrected, "Jewish Laser Beam" began trending on Twitter, with users slamming the Republican politician’s comments.
A member of congress thinks there is a Jewish Laser beam to clear space or something for high speed rail and on Sunday TV pundits will ask democrats why they can’t find middle ground on Covid relief. All of these otherwise smart people will pretend not to know the answer.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 29, 2021
Two Hebrews and their #JewishSpaceLasers pic.twitter.com/LmTb2yJ1vd
— Jason Perlow (@jperlow) January 29, 2021
Oy gevalt! How could you forget about Jews in Space (with lasers)? pic.twitter.com/RKjp9iVuts
— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) January 29, 2021
This Jewish space laser thing makes no sense to me. Because, as every Jewish mother knows, you could put an eye out with that.
— Ruth Marcus (@RuthMarcus) January 29, 2021
Man, the more shit that comes out about #KickGreeneOut, she's crazier than a shithouse rat.......literally........just wow, and she's in the House. Good job GA.
— Blue in Alaska🤙🏻TheRealFatShady, Ridin'WithBiden (@AKMooserider) January 29, 2021
Jewish laser beam was just a tad bit too far
— Mulling Mueller (@MullingMueller) January 29, 2021
I wondered if she was going to blame aliens, but no, it was apparently some evil plot involving Jewish people and the magical laser beam of the Rothschilds. In all seriousness, could this woman be suffering from untreated schizophrenia?
— Charlotte Sometimes (@Charlot81793339) January 29, 2021
Am I really going to have to search "Jews with laser beams"? What the hell is going on here.
— Devin Nunes' Alt-Mom (@NunesAlt) January 29, 2021
The Jewish Space Laser is really vying to be my number one fave conspiracy ahead of my old favourite, Mossad Stole My Shoe.
— Tema Smith (@temasmith) January 29, 2021
Some comments suggested that Greene ‘might be on to something’.
Jewish laser beam was just a tad bit too far
— Mulling Mueller (@MullingMueller) January 29, 2021
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is known as the first person to be elected to federal office who openly adheres to the QAnon conspiracy theory, whose proponents believe that during his presidency, Donald Trump was waging a war against a "Deep State" made up of global Satan-worshipping elites who manipulate a worldwide child sex trafficking ring.
