Feud erupts as Trump targets MAGA ally Marjorie Taylor Greene
Disagreements between Donald Trump and Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have escalated into a public row and signaled a deterioration in relations between the US president and one of his fiercest defenders.
On Friday, Trump called Greene “crazy” in social media posts and said she should be removed from office in next year’s election. He called her a “traitor” on Saturday.
In recent days, Greene has questioned whether Trump still uses the phrase “America First” and criticized his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The dispute comes as the House of Representatives is poised to consider whether to make the files public and Speaker Mike Johnson said he would put the bill to a vote next week.
The purpose of the bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, is to ensure that the justice department releases all declassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
US broadcaster Politico reported that the vote could take place on Tuesday.
“All ‘Loon’ Marjorie does is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” Trump posted Friday night claiming she was hostile to him when he suggested she shouldn’t run for governor or senator in her home state of Georgia.
“He’s told a lot of people that he’s sorry I’m not answering their calls anymore,” Trump said, adding: “I can’t take a crazy call every day.”
He vowed to support any Republican challenger who would run him in next year’s midterm elections as he faces re-election, before intensifying his attacks in social media posts from his home in Florida on Saturday.
“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green [sic] “It is a shame for OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” he wrote.
The comments followed days of criticism from Greene, who said Trump wasn’t doing enough to lower costs for voters. He also condemned his recent decisions regarding foreign conflicts and customs policies.
But he was the most critical of his approach to handling the Epstein files.
The reversal is remarkable for a lawmaker who has sided with Trump during multiple scandals, most notably the 2021 Capitol riot in which Trump supporters attempted to prevent Trump’s election defeat.
The US president also strongly defended Greene when she was accused of promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Greene is one of four House Republicans who joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition last week calling for the release of the Epstein files.
On Friday, Greene shared on X that Trump was trying to stop other Republicans from voting in favor of the Epstein petition.
“He’s coming after me as an example to scare all the other Republicans before they vote to release the Epstein files in the coming weeks,” he said, adding: “It’s truly surprising that he fought so hard to prevent the Epstein files from being released, and that he actually got to this level.”
He returned to X on Saturday, saying Trump had made him the target of threats “fuelled and incited by the most powerful man in the world.”
“As a Republican who overwhelmingly voted for President Trump’s bills and agenda, his aggression towards me… is completely shocking to everyone,” he wrote.
“I do not worship or serve Donald Trump,” he wrote in one post. “I worship God, Jesus is my savior, and I serve my GA14 district and the American people.”
Former Republican pollster and strategist Robert Moran said it was clear that the US president did not want the Epstein files released and was “trying to pressure” Greene.
Mr. Moran was skeptical that the debate would affect Trump’s popularity because the electorate is so divided, but he said it was inevitable that the files would eventually come to light.
“Most of their voters are skeptical of the government and therefore they want the government to be held accountable and they support the publication of these files,” he added.
