Senator Bernie Sanders, the longtime progressive from Vermont, startled both allies and critics Wednesday night when he described Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the outspoken conservative from Georgia, as one of the “good Republicans” in Congress — and as someone guided more by her voters than by party loyalty.
Speaking during a CNN Town Hall, Sanders was asked which Republicans he believed he could work with to end the ongoing government shutdown. To the audience’s surprise, he singled out Greene as an example of an elected official acting independently of her party’s leadership.
“There are some decent, honest Republicans,” Sanders said. “And you know, in American society, we believe in democracy. You’re a conservative Republican. We disagree. So what? It’s called America. We have different points of view.”
He went on to lament that too many Republicans, in his view, had become subservient to the White House rather than their constituents. “One of the things that has concerned me very, very much,” Sanders continued, “is that we are seeing the Republican Party doing less of representing their districts and their states than just swearing allegiance to the President of the United States.”
Then came the unexpected praise. “I never thought that I would say this,” Sanders said, “but you have somebody like Marjorie Taylor Greene saying, ‘You know what, I was elected by my constituents, that’s who I am beholden to, not the President of the United States.’ So there are good Republicans out there.”
The remark referred to Greene’s decision earlier this week to side with Democrats in extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — a move that angered some in her party but reflected her willingness to act independently.
“I’m not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don’t think anyone should be,” Greene told reporters after the vote. “I serve in Congress. We’re a separate branch of the government. I got elected without the president’s endorsement, and I think that has served me really well.”
The Georgia Republican’s insistence on independence has drawn both criticism and admiration across the political spectrum. Greene has often been a lightning rod for controversy, but Sanders’ comments acknowledged a principle that conservatives themselves frequently emphasize — that elected officials should answer to the voters who sent them to Washington, not to political elites or party bosses.
Sanders’ remarks also underscored a rare moment of bipartisan respect at a time when Congress is mired in division. His comments appeared to recognize Greene’s populist instincts and her rejection of establishment pressure, values that resonate with voters across ideological lines.
Not everyone on stage shared his view. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who appeared alongside Sanders at the event, declined to echo his praise. When CNN host Kaitlan Collins asked if she could see herself working with Greene, Ocasio-Cortez quipped, “On what?” She added, “It’s not just about talking the talk, we gotta walk the walk.”
While the exchange may have surprised many on the left, it reflected a broader truth about the current political moment: voters on both sides of the aisle are increasingly drawn to those who defy party orthodoxy and speak directly to their constituents.
For Sanders, the remark served as a reminder that integrity and independence — even from an ideological opponent like Greene — still have a place in American politics. And for Greene, it marked a rare instance of praise from a progressive icon, an acknowledgment that her defiance of political conformity has not gone unnoticed.
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