A burgeoning public dispute between Donald Trump and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene signals a fracture in the relationship between the former U.S. president and one of his most ardent defenders.
Trump publicly derided Greene as “wacky” in social media posts on Friday, suggesting she should be ousted in the upcoming elections. This was followed by labeling her a “traitor” on Saturday.
Greene had recently questioned Trump’s commitment to his “America First” agenda and criticized his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
This public disagreement coincides with House deliberations on whether to release the Epstein files to the public.
“All I see “Wacky” Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” Trump posted on Friday, alleging that Greene turned against him after he advised against her running for governor or senator in Georgia.
“She has told many people that she is upset that I don’t return her phone calls anymore,” Trump stated, adding: “I can’t take a ranting Lunatic’s call every day.”
He pledged to support any Republican challenger against her in the next midterm elections, escalating his attacks on social media from his Florida residence on Saturday.
“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green [sic] is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” he wrote.
These remarks follow Greene’s recent criticisms, arguing Trump isn’t doing enough to lower costs for voters. She also condemned his recent decisions on foreign conflicts and tariff policies.
Her strongest criticism, however, has been directed towards his handling of the Epstein files.
This marks a notable shift for a lawmaker who steadfastly supported Trump during numerous controversies, notably the Capitol riot in 2021, when Trump supporters attempted to prevent the certification of his election defeat.
The former president also staunchly defended Greene against accusations of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Greene is among only four House Republicans who joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition last week, advocating for the release of the Epstein files.
On Friday, Greene posted on X, alleging Trump was trying to prevent other Republicans from supporting the Epstein petition.
“He’s coming after me hard to make an example to scare all the other Republicans before next weeks vote to release the Epstein files,” she posted, adding: “It’s astonishing really how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level.”
She returned to X on Saturday, stating Trump had made her a target for threats “fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world.”
“As a Republican, who overwhelmingly votes for President Trump’s bills and agenda, his aggression against me… is completely shocking to everyone,” she wrote.
“I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump,” she wrote in one post.
Former Republican pollster and strategist Robert Moran suggested the former U.S. president clearly doesn’t want the Epstein files released and “is trying to pressure” Greene.
Mr. Moran expressed doubt that the dispute would impact Trump’s popularity given the current political polarization, but noted the files would likely be released eventually.
“Many of his voters are sceptical of power and so they want power to be held to account, and they support the release of these files,” he added.
Trump has long faced bipartisan criticism over his handling of the U.S. Department of Justice files related to Epstein, the deceased financier and convicted sex offender.
Trump and Epstein were friends for years, but the former president has stated they had a falling out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein’s initial arrest. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
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