Ruling party's Mdinaradze slams US for "silence," claims 'deep state' targets Georgia

Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, has sharply criticized recent US actions toward Georgia, including the MEGOBARI Act passed in the US House of Representatives, which he labeled a “hostile act” disguised as friendship. Speaking to journalists, Mdinaradze suggested the act and Washington’s broader posture toward Georgia reflect a “deep state” agenda, claiming it aligns with opposition narratives and undermines the country’s sovereignty.

“This so-called ‘friend act’ was not something we considered weighty or credible enough to factor into the serious, global-level conversation we are currently having—both within Georgia and before the international community. It’s nothing more than a lifeline for the drowning agent-led opposition,” Mdinaradze said.

He argued that the silence from the United States reflects a deeper confusion within the American system itself, particularly regarding the “deep state,” a term often used by President Donald Trump and his allies to describe entrenched bureaucratic forces allegedly working against elected officials.

“If we accept this Act as a factor, as some urge us to, then it becomes even worse—it would mean the 'deep state' is not being defeated but is actively at work,” he said. “And if silence isn’t actually silence but subtle criticism, it’s even more alarming—because that suggests the deep state’s agenda and the supposed criticism from the US are perfectly aligned.”

Mdinaradze warned that the message sent by the US is confusing for both Georgian citizens and international observers, especially given that Georgia’s government has been vocal—months or even years ahead of others—about issues the US is now only beginning to acknowledge from its own perspective.

He ridiculed claims that US allies are now trying to "free Georgia from Chinese influence,” stating, “It’s absurd. We understand Russia is an occupier and can be mentioned in that context—but now our so-called friends are saving us from Chinese influence? It’s unbelievable.”

Mdinaradze’s comments come on the same day Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze published an open letter to US President Donald Trump, urging him to defeat the American 'deep state' and help restore the US-Georgia strategic partnership. In the letter, Kobakhidze accused American-funded NGOs of fueling unrest in Georgia, promoting “radicalism” and “LGBT propaganda,” and "undermining" the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Kobakhidze also took issue with US sanctions on Georgian officials and claimed the Biden administration is punishing Georgia for resisting a “revolutionary scenario” supposedly backed by USAID and other US-based organizations.

Mdinaradze echoed those themes, alleging that vast sums of money and powerful informal networks are being used to manipulate European and American narratives about Georgia.

“People who are disconnected from reality are talking about oligarchic influence, pushing extreme liberal, pseudo-liberal ideas down our throats—at the expense of our traditions, our identity, and the will of the Georgian people,” he concluded.

United States' MEGOBARI Act, a legislative proposal recently passed by the US House of Representatives, has also been registered at the US Senate. Formally titled the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act, was introduced in the US House on January 3, 2025, by Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) and passed on May 5 with a bipartisan vote of 349–42. The bill aims to support democratic practices and counter authoritarian influences in Georgia, particularly from Russia, China, and Iran. It also calls for the US to consider reevaluating its relationship with the Georgian government if it deviates from its Euro-Atlantic integration path. Additionally, the act mandates reports on Russian intelligence activities and sanctions evasion in Georgia, and it authorizes sanctions against individuals undermining Georgian democracy.