A House Oversight Committee hearing turned absolutely explosive when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Democratic Governors of “murder,” saying that they had been responsible for the killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant in 2024.
For context, on June 12, 2025, the House of Representatives Oversight Committee heard the testimonies of multiple sanctuary state governors in response to the Laken Riley Act. During the hearing, tensions rose to a fever pitch when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a close ally of President Trump, said that the Democrats were “responsible for murder” due to their lax policies on illegal immigration.
During the hearing, Rep. Greene spoke directly to the Democratic Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, asking her, “Did you support the Biden administration’s policies for the past four years?” In response, Gov. Hochul attempted to dodge the question, saying, “I raised my concerns in many…” Interjecting, Rep. Greene said, “That’s a yes or no question about how the border was being enforced.”
Continuing to grill Gov. Hochul, Rep. Greene said, “You said you’re a proud Democrat. You supported Joe Biden for President. Clearly, you supported the Biden administration’s policies.” She then asked the governor, “Did you swear Governor Hochul? Did you swear an oath to faithfully uphold New York’s constitution and laws?” The governor responded, “I certainly did.”
Next, after Gov. Hochul said that she supported “sanctuary policies” protecting illegal immigrants in states like New York, Rep. Greene said, “You support sanctuary policies that have led to the horrific murder of people, Americans.” She later added that horrific cases of murder and assault perpetrated by illegal immigrants were “the result of your sick and disgusting, treasonous laws that you uphold as governor.”
Continuing despite attempted interruptions from Gov. Hochul, Rep. Greene asked the governor, “Do you know the name Laken Riley?” When the governor said yes, Rep. Green continued, “Jose Ibarra murdered 22-year-old Laken Riley. He’s an illegal alien monster from Venezuela, convicted of 10 charges. He was first arrested by the Biden Administration.”
Building on her point, Rep. Greene explained that Ibarra ended up in New York after killing Laken Riley, adding, “He lived at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Queens, an upscale hotel that was turned into an illegal alien shelter at the taxpayers’ expense. $2 million a month went to this hotel.” The representative called this “outrageous,” dropping a bomb by saying, “You are responsible for the murder of this little girl, Laken Riley, and the Department of Justice should prosecute you for murder.”
"*" indicates required fields
When Gov. Hochul attempted to object, Rep. Greene said, “I don’t care how much you object…you’re responsible for her murder.” At this point, Rep. Greene was interrupted and told to treat witnesses like Gov. Hochul “with respect” and to “enforce decorum.”
Watch the heated exchange:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video