GOP leader calls out House Democrat for troop ‘stunt’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) accused Guam Del. Michael San Nicolas (D) of using members of the National Guard for a “political stunt” after the House Democrat brought a group of troops with him to deliver cookies and books to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

San Nicolas, who said he was giving members of the Guam National Guard a tour, visited Greene’s office after the GOP lawmaker mistakenly referred to the U.S. territory as a foreign land during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month.

McCarthy took to social media on Monday to call on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to bar the use of military personnel for what he called partisan efforts.

“.@DeptofDefense is being politicized. Uniformed service members recently criticized a private citizen for his First Amendment rights, & today a Dem lawmaker used soldiers in a political stunt against a GOP member,” he wrote.

“@SecDef Austin—This sets a dangerous precedent. It must stop now,” the California Republican added.

.@DeptofDefense is being politicized. Uniformed service members recently criticized a private citizen for his First Amendment rights, & today a Dem lawmaker used soldiers in a political stunt against a GOP member.@SecDef Austin—This sets a dangerous precedent. It must stop now.

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 16, 2021

San Nicolas has defended his decision to deliver the basket filled with local cookies and information on the territory, arguing that he was simply looking to inform and spread goodwill.

“That criticism is unfounded, we were not at all using military service members for political props. I was taking my guardsmen on a tour of the Capitol and we stopped by several members’ offices and we delivered some goodies. Cookies should never be considered a political prop and neither should our military. But goodwill is absolutely something that we wish to extend from Guam to everybody,” he told CNN.

Guam Rep. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas and members of the Guam National Guard visited the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she falsely called the U.S. territory a foreign land. pic.twitter.com/3M3L0BkJZ1

— The Hill (@thehill) March 15, 2021

Greene has slammed the move, tweeting Tuesday, “It’s time for our great men and women of the National Guard to go home and be with their families.”

“The Democrats need to stop using them as political theatre and drama on Capitol Hill. Shame on Democrats for disrespecting our military,” she added.

It’s time for our great men and women of the National Guard to go home and be with their families.

The Democrats need to stop using them as political theatre and drama on Capitol Hill.

Shame on Democrats for disrespecting our military.

— Marjorie Taylor Greene  (@mtgreenee) March 16, 2021

During her speech at CPAC, Greene cited Guam — which has been a U.S. territory since 1899 — while listing places she argued the U.S. should not provide additional aid.

“I’m a regular, normal person. And I wanted to take my regular – normal person, normal, everyday American values, which is: We love our country,” she said in her remarks. “We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America – not for what, China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam – whatever, wherever.”