Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump’s remarks hurtful, but hopes they can make up
Georgia lawmaker, once one of Trump’s staunchest allies, pushes back after the president brands her a traitor and a lunatic
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Sunday that Donald Trump’s recent comments calling her a “traitor” and a “lunatic” were “painful,” but she expressed hope that the two could eventually “make up,” even as tensions continue to escalate over policy disagreements and the release of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Greene — long regarded as one of Trump’s loudest supporters and a fierce advocate for the “Make America Great Again” movement — publicly addressed his attacks for the first time during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, two days after Trump abruptly rescinded his endorsement of her.
“Of course his remarks have been hurtful,” Greene said. “The most painful thing he said — and it’s completely untrue — was calling me a traitor. That is absolutely wrong.”
Greene revealed on Saturday that she had been approached by private security teams “with warnings for my safety” after Trump announced he was pulling his support for her reelection bid. The shift followed several days of Trump criticizing her both publicly and on social media.
In a post on X, Greene wrote that “a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world,” though she did not mention Trump by name. She added that these threats were being stoked by “the man I supported and helped get elected.”
On Sunday, she avoided giving further specifics about the nature or origin of the alleged threats. But she stressed that Trump’s language — especially labeling her a traitor — carries dangerous consequences.
“Those types of words can radicalize people against me and put my life in jeopardy,” she said.
Greene argued that the conflict with Trump centers largely on the release of the “Epstein files,” adding: “This has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking. I stand with these women, I stand with rape victims, with survivors of trafficking. I believe Americans deserve full transparency.”
Later this week, Greene plans to support a House vote demanding the full release of all government documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
While the Senate is expected to block any such measure, the vote — along with last week’s release of thousands of new documents revealing Epstein’s connections to Trump, Steve Bannon, and other influential individuals — has intensified demands for transparency from victims and put mounting pressure on the administration.
Greene’s rift with Trump had been simmering for months, but the situation escalated sharply in recent weeks.
During Sunday’s interview, Greene also called for an end to what she described as “toxic infighting” in politics. CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed her on her own record of inflammatory rhetoric, including past violent suggestions about Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, and an old social media image where Greene posed with a gun next to photos of progressive lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of “the Squad.”
“I am sorry for contributing to toxic politics,” Greene said. “Put down the knives, be kind to each other. I never intended to cause any harm.”
She also distanced herself from some of Trump’s recent priorities, arguing that he should be more focused on domestic issues like inflation and take an even stronger approach on immigration.
“I’d like to see Air Force One parked and staying home,” she said, implying that Trump should travel less and focus more on economic concerns.
But despite the sharp disagreements, Greene ended the interview on a conciliatory note. When asked whether she believed she and Trump could reconcile, she replied: “I certainly hope we can. I can only speak for myself. I’m a Christian, and one of the core parts of my faith is forgiveness. That’s something I’m committed to.”