Marjorie Taylor Greene hands out Laken Riley pins ahead of SOTU – after her parents turned down Republican invite

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene has been handing out Laken Riley pins ahead of the State of the Union even after the murdered student’s parents turned down an invite to attend.

The parents of Ms Riley declined an invitation from Rep Mike Collins, Republican of Georgia.

Ms Riley, 22, a nursing student, was allegedly murdered while jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia.

“I invited Laken Riley’s parents to the State of the Union address, but understandably, they have chosen to stay home as they grieve the loss of their daughter,” Mr Collins <a rel=«nofollow» target="_blank" href=«https://twitter.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1765480044602753396?ref_src=» https:>wrote on X.

“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime. As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look up at an empty seat that memorializes those we’ve lost because of his open border policies.”

Ms Riley was found unconscious last month and a 26-year-old man from Venezuela was later detained. Police have referred to it as a “crime of opportunity” and the man, Jose Ibarra, has been charged with felony murder, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.

Republicans have been using Ms Riley’s death to lambast the Biden administration’s border policies. The president may use part of his speech on Thursday night to criticise Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan border security bill after former President Donald Trump came out against it.

While handing out the pins, Ms Greenetold Fox News that “My district was fine with me calling him a liar last year,” adding that “I’ll decide in the moment” if she’ll make a similar outburst this