Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene denounced Kwanzaa as a 'fake religion created by a psychopath'

Lauren Frias

Mon, December 27, 2021

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kwanzaa a "fake religion created by a psychopath."

• Greene made the remark in response to a statement by the College Republican National Committee.

• The annual weeklong celebration of African history and culture was introduced in 1966.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kwanzaa a "fake religion created by a psychopath" on Sunday as millions began to celebrate the weeklong holiday.

Greene made the remark in response to a statement by the College Republican National Committee, a national organization of conservative college students.

"Wishing you a happy and prosperous Kwanza," the group tweeted Sunday.

Greene responded to the tweet by saying the organization was "turning people away" by posting the holiday greeting.

"Stop. It's a fake religion created by a psychopath," Greene wrote. "You aren't bringing in new voters, you are turning them away. People are tired of pandering and BS."

Introduced by professor Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa is an annual weeklong celebration in which African American families give gifts, eat traditional meals, and light candles in honor of their ancestors.

Greene's tweet seemed to reference Karenga, who was convicted of felony assault in connection with a 1970 attack on two female members of the US Organization, a Black nationalist group in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While Greene condemned Kwanzaa — which she incorrectly called a religion — her GOP counterparts have previously offered holiday greetings to those who celebrate it.

In 2017, President Donald Trump issued a statement, saying: "Let us celebrate during this joyous time the richness of the past and look with hope toward a brighter future.

"As families and friends join to light the Kinara, Melania and I extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a prosperous year to come."

In 2013, the Republican National Committee also wished people a happy Kwanzaa.

"Wishing those celebrating a joyous time with loved ones and a time of meaningful reflection ahead of the New Year," the organization wrote in a tweet.

Representatives for Greene and the College Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.