Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has long been one of Donald Trump’s most loyal MAGA allies. Until now.
President Trump responds to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s foreign policy criticism
President Donald Trump said Marjorie Taylor Greene had “lost her way” by questioning his foreign policy priorities.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is in a feud with one of the most vocal MAGA supporters, and things are getting ugly.
President Trump’s spat with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has reached a climax in recent days, with the president withdrawing his support for the Georgia Republican and giving her a nickname. This is usually an act given to the most bitter political opponents.
“All ‘weird’ Marjorie is doing is complaining, complaining, complaining!” Trump wrote on social media on November 14, referring to concerns raised by Greene about her focus on foreign policy, the government shutdown and the controversy surrounding sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Her comments came more than a month after Ms. Greene began publicly expressing frustration with House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers, including Mr. Trump.
From international disputes to the Epstein file, here’s what you need to know about the causes of the rift and what they mean.
Where it all began: Closures and Green’s dissatisfaction with medical care
Greene, who represents a district in Georgia’s northwest corner, first began criticizing House Republican leadership during the government shutdown that began Oct. 1. In particular, Greene expressed concern about rising health care costs, citing rising health care costs as a reason for Democrats to hold off on voting to open government agencies and approve funding.
Although Greene said she does not support the Affordable Care Act passed under the Obama administration, she broke with her Republican colleagues and called for an extension of soon-to-expire ACA subsidies. Without the funds, some Americans could face higher premiums.
“I’m going to disagree with you on this issue because when the tax credit expires this year, my own 2026 adult child premium will double, along with all the great families and hard-working people in my district,” Greene said in an Oct. 6 post to X.
President Trump has long said he wants to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, but Republicans have yet to propose a comprehensive bill on how to do so.
Tipping point: foreign policy
Amid the government shutdown, Greene met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shalah at the White House and criticized Trump for vowing to help the Middle Eastern country.
“I really wish there were non-stop meetings at WH about domestic policy, not foreign policy or foreign leaders,” Greene wrote to X on Nov. 10.
This attitude came as no surprise to Green. Georgia’s representative has long supported what President Trump calls an “America First” approach to world affairs and called for an end to foreign wars. She supported the president’s campaign promise to “solve” the Ukraine war, which the president still hasn’t done.
Trump immediately fired back. He told reporters on November 10 that Green had “lost his way.” In response to her criticism, he said there was a need to “see the presidency as a global situation, not a regional one.”
And on Nov. 14, President Trump doubled down on his response, calling her “weird,” withdrawing his support, and encouraging other Republicans to challenge her in the 2026 Republican primary.
epstein file
Greene argued that Trump’s anger with her was not about his stance on the government shutdown or foreign policy, but rather because he asked the Justice Department to release federal files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of trafficking hundreds of underage girls.
“President Trump attacked me and lied about me. …Apparently this is what pushed him over the edge: Epstein files,” Greene said in a post on X, along with screenshots of text messages she said she sent to Trump.
Asked directly by CNN anchor Dana Bash if she thought President Trump didn’t want the American people to see anything in the Epstein file, Greene said on November 16 that that’s part of the confusion.
“The women I talked to themselves said over and over again that Donald Trump did nothing wrong,” Greene said.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in his friendship with Epstein, and the two had a falling out in the 2000s.
Where we are now: Greene calls for an end to ‘toxic politics’
On November 16, Greene expressed her desire to move past her feud with Trump and called for an end to divisive politics. Her comments came after President Trump posted on the X show on Nov. 15 that he feared calling her a “traitor” would “radicalize people” against her and put her life in danger.
But Greene, who has long promoted reprehensible conspiracy theories, said she now wants Americans to “end toxic conflict in politics.”
When Bash asked why Greene had not previously spoken out about political division and harmful rhetoric, the congresswoman apologized.
“I would like to humbly say that I am sorry for participating in politics that is very bad and harmful to our country,” she said.
It appears that the feud between Greene and Trump is far from over. The ball is now in Trump’s court.
Contributors: Joey Garrison and Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY
