Republican Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna said she was threatened by another member of the House of Representatives because of her opposition to the election of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.
Luna spoke to steve bannonformer adviser to the former president donald trump about ‘inappropriate’ phone call she received from female House member in video shared on Twitter Friday by PatriotTakes, which describes itself as “researchers monitoring and exposing right-wing extremism.”
The newly elected congresswoman will be sworn in on January 3 when the new Republican majority tries to elect the next speaker. McCarthy faces stiff opposition to his bid for president within his own party.
Luna is opposed to McCarthy’s election and Bannon asked her about the reaction to her position.
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“I received a very inappropriate phone call on Thursday where basically another member – it was a few weeks ago, actually – another member called me basically to vote for the speaker race and eventually ended up threatening me,” Luna said.
“And I let this woman know that I was not going to be threatened,” she continued. “I don’t think I need to put that person’s name in because I think they’re probably embarrassed to do so.”
“But the thing is, it’s not uncommon, I think, for that to happen and ultimately I’m not going to be bullied,” Luna said.
In response to the video, PatriotTakes added in another tweet: “There are only a limited number of female members [of] the House conference. Was it MTG?” referring to the Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Some Twitter users too assumed the person in question was Greene.
PatriotTakes later tweeted, “Which ‘female member’ threatened incoming Republican House member Anna Paulina Luna?” and many replies named Greene again.
However, Luna did not name the person who allegedly threatened her and she also named Greene among the house members she respected during her conversation with Bannon.
In a statement published at Newsweek On Saturday morning, Luna said, “The member who called me was NOT MTG. Marjorie came to help me with my primary and is also a member of the Freedom Caucus. She would never do that to me.”
Greene offered her public support for McCarthy’s bid to be elected president next week, putting her at odds with the other conservatives in the houseincluding representatives Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.
Republicans will have 222 seats when the new House convenes Jan. 3, but there is strong opposition to McCarthy among a minority of new GOP members.
He will need 218 votes to secure the election, but McCarthy’s allies are reportedly expecting multiple ballots in what could be the most contested presidential race since 1923.
McCarthy’s team would seek to the new house rules package As a means of reaching an agreement with opponents and offering concessions to those who currently say they will not vote for McCarthy.
However, the rules package will only be passed after a new president is elected and it is not yet clear how McCarthy will overcome opposition in the tightly divided House where every vote is likely to count.
Update 12/31/22 10:10 AM ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from Anna Paulina Luna.
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