Marjorie Taylor Greene’s dramatic decision to leave Congress has sent shockwaves through Washington, punctuating a bitter split between the Georgia firebrand and President-elect Donald Trump. Her resignation, set for January 5, 2026, followed weeks of escalating clashes over the long-frozen Jeffrey Epstein files—an issue she had been publicly hammering as a test of political courage.
In her resignation letter, released online, Greene lamented the personal attacks she said she endured from the president-elect. “Standing up for American women who were [assaulted] at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she wrote. Calling his criticism “hurtful,” she added that she would not remain in office as a “battered wife” trapped in a toxic dynamic.
Greene’s outrage over the Epstein documents had been growing for months. Although she once stood firmly in Trump’s corner—both on his America First messaging and his contested 2020 election claims—she turned sharply on him, accusing him of dragging his feet on releasing the files. Her comments intensified as she criticized his tariff approach, his handling of the cost-of-living crisis, and what she characterized as a reluctance to confront entrenched elite wrongdoing. She took her grievances to major broadcast outlets, casting her demands as a push for accountability long overdue.
Her record on Israel resurfaced as well amid the uproar, with critics revisiting her unsuccessful attempt to slash aid to Israel by arguing the funds should be steered toward paying down the national debt. She had also previously charged that Israel was using U.S. assistance for genocide—statements that repeatedly put her at odds with many in her own party.
Trump eventually answered forcefully. After campaigning beside her in Rome, Georgia, early in 2024, he turned to Truth Social to denounce her. He branded her a “traitor” and “wacky,” and wrote, “For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD.” He also hinted he would back a challenger to unseat her in the next primary.
That public rupture seemed to speed up Trump’s shift on the Epstein controversy. Under growing pressure from Republicans who saw the files as a key test of transparency, he suddenly moved to advance legislation compelling the Justice Department to make the documents public within 30 days. What had once been a unifying mission for many in the MAGA movement turned into a stark demonstration of fractures within its ranks.
Appearing on ABC News after Greene’s announcement, Trump celebrated her exit from Congress, calling it “great news for the country.” Yet on social media he tacked on a softer message, writing, “Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” He also referenced advice he had given her about her weak polling numbers for hypothetical statewide races, despite Greene’s insistence that she had no interest in those positions.
Her departure now leaves Republicans with an even thinner margin in the House, adding tension to an already fragile majority. The seat she is vacating—Georgia’s strongly conservative 14th district—was one she had consistently dominated, but her exit introduces fresh uncertainty for the GOP as the 2026 midterms approach. In her farewell video, she spotlighted what she saw as her congressional achievements, ranging from border security efforts to battles against “woke” initiatives, and insisted her resignation reflected a refusal to compromise her principles rather than a political retreat.
{Matzav.com}
