President Donald Trump has broken with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch long-time ally and prominent MAGA figure who has been at sharp odds with the White House on economic issues, foreign affairs and the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump called Greene a “ranting lunatic” and said he was withdrawing his support for her in a social media post late Friday.
“All I see ‘Wacky’ Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” Trump wrote in the Truth Social post.
The president continued to share several posts lambasting Taylor Greene on Truth Social into Friday night — including reposting comments that called the representative “a cheap political football,” a “sellout” and another that said her “political future just ended,” all in the span of a couple minutes.
The outburst marked a notable fissure in the MAGA coalition that vaulted Trump to office and has helped him carry out his agenda but has fractured in recent months, particularly over files related to Epstein.
Greene had been an unusually pointed critic of Trump, saying he should spend less time on overseas travel and foreign affairs and more addressing domestic issues such as the looming expiration of Obamacare subsidies that will cause health insurance for many to soar.
But Epstein appears to be the main factor in the breach. Greene and MAGA figures have long called for the government to release files from the investigation, something Trump had also appeared to support until he returned to office.
Congress is expected to vote Tuesday on legislation to force the release of federal files related to Epstein. After Trump denounced her, Greene said in a social media post of her own that she had sent him a text message about the late sex offender, saying that’s what appeared to set him off.
“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 said. “But really most Americans wish he would fight this hard to help the forgotten men and women of America who are fed up with foreign wars and foreign causes, are going broke trying to feed their families, and are losing hope of ever achieving the American dream.”
She added: “I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump.”
Trump’s criticism of Greene comes at a politically fraught moment for Republicans, who are feeling squeamish after a crushing off-season election cycle in which Democrats swept all major races in part by messaging on the shutdown and affordability. Democrats are hoping this momentum will carry them into the midterms, when they hope to regain control of the House.
The president said that a viable Republican who runs against Greene — who he now sees as “Far Left” — in a primary election next year would receive his endorsement.
“I can’t take a ranting Lunatic’s call every day. I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics,” he said. “If the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support.”
Trump has used Truth Social to level similarly harsh attacks against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) who, like Greene, has skewered Trump and other Republican leaders by calling for the full release of the Epstein files and pushing to cut back presidential war powers. Last month, Trump encouraged Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy Seal, to run against Massie during the primary elections next year, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) later said he would help Massie clinch a victory.
“Did Thomas Massie, sometimes referred to as Rand Paul Jr., because of the fact that he always votes against the Republican Party, get married already???” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Boy, that was quick! No wonder the Polls have him at less than an 8% chance of winning the Election. Anyway, have a great life Thomas and (?). His wife will soon find out that she’s stuck with a LOSER!”
Politics
