U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) greets former U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally in Commerce, Georgia, U.S., on March 26, 2022.
Alyssa Pointer | Reuters
President Donald Trump reacted Saturday to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation announcement, saying, “Marjorie went WRONG.”
Trump again called the Georgia Republican a “traitor,” a reference to Greene’s alliance with Republican Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky, who sponsored the bill requiring the Justice Department’s release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
Greene, who had been a close Trump ally for years, cited in her statement the president’s reaction to her defense of the bill, saying her last day in the House of Representatives will be Jan. 5.
“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown, due to the FALL in her poll numbers and not wanting to face a primary rival with strong support from Trump (where she would have no chance of winning!), has decided to end the process,” Trump wrote early Saturday morning in a Truth Social post.
“Her relationship with the WORST Republican congressman in decades, Tom Massie of Kentucky, also known as Rand Paul Jr. because he votes against the GOP (and really good legislation!), didn’t help her,” Trump said.
“For some reason, mainly because I refused to return her endless barrage of phone calls, Marjorie became BAD,” he wrote.
“However, I will always appreciate Marjorie and thank her for her service to our country.”
Trump had opposed the bill ordering the release of Epstein’s files until the last minute. This week, the bill passed the House in a nearly unanimous vote and unanimously passed the Senate. Then the president signed it into law.
Trump spoke to NBC News Saturday morning about Greene, saying, “It’s not going to be easy” for her to have a future in Republican politics.
“I’d like to see it,” Trump told NBC.
“He needs to get some rest,” he said.
“I can settle differences with anyone,” Trump said when asked if he thinks he can reconcile with Greene.
Trump said last week that he would support “the right person” if they challenged Greene in next year’s Republican primary for her seat representing Georgia’s 14th District.
In her resignation statement Friday night, Greene wrote, “I have too much self-respect and dignity, I love my family too much, and I don’t want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful, hateful primary against me from the president we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while the Republicans will likely lose the midterms.”
“And in turn, I am expected to defend the president against impeachment after he hatefully threw tens of millions of dollars at me and tried to destroy me,” Greene said.
“I refuse to be a ‘battered wife’ waiting for everything to go away and get better.”
“Standing up for American women who were raped at age 14, trafficked and used by rich and powerful men should not result in the President of the United States of America, for whom I fought, calling me a traitor and threatening me.”
