Marjorie Taylor Greene makes controversial X post following Pope Francis’ death

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., talks with reporters a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

ATLANTA - Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing intense backlash after posting a cryptic message on social media just hours after the death of Pope Francis, who passed away Monday at the age of 88.

What we know:

The announcement was made by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who said in a statement: "At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church."

Greene took to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after, writing: "Today, there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God."

Today there were major shifts in global leaderships.

Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 21, 2025

Although she did not mention the pope by name, many observers interpreted the post as a veiled reference to Pope Francis, especially given the timing.

Mixed Reactions Online

What they're saying:

The post has garnered more than 11,000 comments as of Tuesday morning. While some users defended Greene, many condemned the message as callous and inappropriate:

Supportive comments included:

"I’m not the biggest Marjorie Taylor Greene fan, but I think a lot of you are reading too much into this."

"If she had named the person, sure. But she just expressed her core belief that God does good."

"Amen, Marjorie. Stay strong. We’re here with you!"

But the majority of responses were critical:

"What kind of sick person sees the Pope’s death and calls it ‘evil being defeated’? Have some decency."

"I have defended MTG in the past. Never again. Pope Francis was not my favorite Pope by far. However, that did not make him evil. God gets to make that decision."

"You read the Bible like it’s a QAnon blog post and miss the part about humility."

"Celebrating the Pope’s death? New low even for you. Vile."

You're a disgrace to America and the world.

"No respectable Catholic should vote for MTG ever again."

Greene’s History with the Catholic Church

Dig deeper:

While it’s unclear if the post was directly referencing Pope Francis, Greene has previously spoken out against the Catholic Church. According to People Magazine, Greene left Catholicism years ago and has since been critical of church leadership.

In an April 2022 post on X, Greene explained she left the Church when she became a mother, citing concerns about child abuse scandals:

She has also criticized U.S. bishops for providing aid to undocumented immigrants:

Pope Francis and Trump-Era Tensions

What we know:

Pope Francis was often at odds with former President Donald Trump, particularly over immigration. In 2016, the pope said Trump’s proposal to build a border wall was "not Christian." Still, the pontiff hosted Trump at the Vatican in 2017.

Following the news of Francis' death, Trump posted on Truth Social:

Trump also announced that flags would be flown at half-staff in the pope’s honor and confirmed that he and former First Lady Melania Trump would attend the funeral.

Vice President JD Vance, who met with Pope Francis just hours before his death, posted:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also commented:

Shortly before his death, Pope Francis made a surprise Easter Sunday appearance from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, waving to thousands in the piazza and riding through the crowd in the popemobile.

Recent Controversies Surrounding Greene

What we know:

Greene has faced scrutiny on multiple fronts in recent weeks. A town hall in Cobb County turned chaotic after protesters interrupted the event. Several individuals were escorted out, and at least one person was subdued with a Taser. Greene claimed most attendees supported the removals, saying afterward:

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Greene also drew criticism for stock trades made shortly before Trump announced a temporary pause on tariffs. Within hours of Trump’s post suggesting it was "a great time to buy," the White House confirmed the policy change. Greene had recently purchased up to $315,000 in stock and sold U.S. Treasury bills. Critics accuse her of benefiting from insider information, though she claims her financial advisor manages her investments.

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Greene serves as chair of the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and remains one of Trump’s most vocal allies in Congress.