Greene, Raskin set aside differences in Twitter exchange following Raskin’s cancer diagnosis

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) had an uncharacteristically warm Twitter exchange on Thursday following the announcement of Raskin’s cancer diagnosis a day earlier.

Sharing a Fox News headline on Raskin’s diagnosis, Green sent well wishes to her Democratic colleague.

“We disagree often, but I’ll be praying for Jamie Raskin,” she wrote on Twitter. “Cancer is a terrible disease. I watched my father die from it, and it broke my heart. It’s good Rep Raskin has hope and his form of cancer is curable with the treatment he will be starting.”

Raskin replied to Greene’s message on the platform, writing, “Thank you, Marjorie, for this touching message, which my youngest daughter showed me. I’m grateful for your concern and very sorry to learn that you lost your father to cancer. Wishing you happy holidays with loved ones.”

The messages marked a change in pace between the two representatives, who are on opposite sides of the aisle and have publicly clashed on multiple occasions.

They come as Raskin begins treatment for a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects white blood cells in the body’s immune system.

Raskin has said that his cancer is “serious, but curable,” and that he is starting chemo-immunotherapy treatment at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

“I expect to be able to work through this period but have been cautioned by my doctors to reduce unnecessary exposure to avoid COVID-19, the flu and other viruses,” Raskin said.

The type of cancer with which Raskin was diagnosed is, specifically, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which usually develops in the lymph nodes deep inside the body. While the cancer is fast-growing and aggressive, it is treatable.

On Wednesday, Raskin said he plans to “get through this” and “keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy.”