Reporter responds after US representative told her ‘go back to your own country’ in tense interview moment

The British journalist who was told to 'go back to her own country' by Marjorie Taylor Greene has revealed that she 'expected' the US representative to rail against her.

Martha Kelner's accent has become a huge topic of conversation on both sides of the Atlantic following her clash with the congresswoman on Wednesday (26 March).

The Sky News correspondent, 35, said she has been inundated with messages of support from Americans after footage of their tense exchange went viral and gained 'millions and millions of views'.

She was immediately shut down by Greene, 50, when she tried to ask her a question about US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, in regards to the Signal group chat scandal.

Martha Kelner said she 'expected' Marjorie Taylor Greene to take issue with her (Sky News)

The Republican asked Kelner to clarify what 'country she was from' before lambasting the Brit as she said: "We don't give a crap about your opinion and your reporting.

"Why don't you go back to your country, where you have a major migrant problem? You should care about your own borders."

Further footage showing the aftermath of the incident in the US Capitol Visitor Center was then released, which depicted how Kelner refused to back down with her questions.

Now, the journalist has revealed how she managed to stay 'so calm' during the conversation while sharing her thoughts on why she believes Greene has an axe to grind with members of the British press.

Kelner described her verbal sparring session with the US politician as an 'exercise in deflection', telling the MailOnline: "I did expect her to take that tone with me. I didn't take it personally and I'm not a victim.

"I've had messages from people all around the world - but particularly from Americans, saying 'we're embarrassed' and that 'she doesn't represent our views'.

"There's an anti-British and an anti-Europe thing in this administration. Her shouting at a journalist and being so rude in one of America's most important institutions is not a good look."

She pointed to critical comments made by US Vice President JD Vance in recent weeks about the continent and the UK specifically, as he was accused of 'mocking' Britain.

Kelner said Greene's remarks 'echoes what he was saying in many ways', adding: "Which is that he doesn't particularly value the relationship with Europe, and perhaps the relationship with Britain as well."

The congresswoman told the reporter to 'go back to your own country' (Sky News)

This is probably why the journalist had braced herself to receive a tongue-lashing from the congresswoman - as well as the fact that she's seen Greene use the exact same line before.

"I did expect her to take that tone with me," Kelner continued. "I've seen her speaking to numerous journalists like that and when she gets a question that she doesn't like, or a line of questioning that she doesn't like, she goes on the attack, and often it is telling a journalist 'to go back to your country' or 'we're not interested in your opinion'.

"I steeled myself for the possibility that she wouldn't like me being there or like me asking those sort of questions before I'd even opened my mouth.

"That's probably why I felt so calm because it's not a surprise, really, it's just the same old frayed playbook of crisis management, which is deny, deflect and attack. You have to stay sort of dispassionate."

Kelner said she was asking 'important questions' which addressed 'major communications failing by some of the most key members of the Trump administration'.

The journalist also heaped praise on the US reporter who 'backed her up' by pressing Greene to answer the questions.

Kelner described the conversation as an 'exercise in deflection' (Sky News)

"I think you owe it to your audience to keep asking those questions until you get an answer that is satisfying and just attacking me is not addressing the issue at hand," she said when discussing why she continued to ask Greene her questions. "Yes, she's very vocal, but she does also represent the MAGA movement.

"She is arguably their most visible spokesperson and she represents the views of a lot of people in the Trump Administration. What they're doing at the moment is attacking journalists and trying to discredit journalists.

"It was an exercise in deflection but attacking journalists is not going to make us go away. We're still going to be there. We're still going to be asking the questions."

Kelner says she was simply 'doing her job' and said she has received a host of messages from people 'apologising for how she interacted with me'.

She says the positive responses 'definitely outweighed' the critiques she got from Greene's supporters, while revealing she hasn't 'heard from the White House' in wake of the viral interaction.

"I don't expect to," the reporter added. "I suspect the way the Trump Administration's handling will continue to be that they're trying to tough it out."