WASHINGTON D.C. April 26, 2026 – Former Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday, accusing the administration of leveraging the ongoing U.S. military involvement in the Iran conflict and Friday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as pretexts to pressure Congress into passing a “clean” reauthorization of FISA Section 702 without added protections for American citizens’ privacy.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Greene wrote:
“The President is using his war on Iran and last night’s WHCD shooting as excuses to give up your rights so that Congress just passes a clean extension of FISA 702.
It’s ridiculous and absurd that any President who has sworn an oath to uphold the constitution would ever tell Americans to give up your rights so the government has the ability to spy on you, especially a government that has already done it to not only him, but to hundreds of thousands of Americans.
And what’s even more ridiculous is that Congress can easily re-authorize FISA 702 with warrant requirements to protect American citizens rights and still be able to go after terrorist. The questions you should be asking is why is this so hard for them and why would the President of the United States demand a clean re-authorization of FISA 702 without warrant requirements???”
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. persons located abroad for foreign intelligence purposes. Critics from both parties have long argued that the program’s “incidental” collection of Americans’ communications creates significant privacy risks, especially given documented past abuses—including surveillance tied to Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The program is currently operating under a short-term extension and is set to expire on April 30, 2026, unless Congress acts. The Trump administration has pushed for a straightforward renewal without new warrant requirements for queries involving U.S. persons’ data.
Greene’s remarks come just one day after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25. President Trump and senior officials were rushed to safety after gunfire erupted outside the event ballroom at the Washington Hilton. Trump was unharmed. Law enforcement quickly subdued and arrested the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California. Investigators are reviewing writings in which the suspect allegedly expressed intent to target Trump administration officials. One law enforcement officer was injured in the incident.
The comments also reference the broader U.S. military engagement in the Iran conflict, which escalated earlier this year with U.S. and Israeli strikes and has involved a naval blockade of Iranian ports and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Greene, who left Congress earlier this year after losing her seat in a special election, has consistently opposed warrantless domestic surveillance expansions. She argued that Congress could easily add warrant protections for Americans while still allowing intelligence agencies to target terrorists effectively.
The former congresswoman’s post has drawn a polarized response online, with some users echoing her privacy concerns and others accusing her of undermining national security at a time of heightened threats.
As the April 30 deadline approaches, the debate over FISA 702 reauthorization remains contentious, pitting national security priorities against longstanding civil liberties concerns. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to negotiate behind the scenes as pressure mounts from the White House.
Life News Agency will continue to monitor developments on FISA reform, the Iran situation, and security incidents involving the administration.
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