Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shocked everyone on Friday night when she announced that she will resign from Congress in January. Greene has been one of the most recognisable Republican lawmakers in the country and a strong Trump supporter for years. But in recent weeks, she started speaking out about her disagreements with him.
She felt Trump was focusing too much on foreign leaders and not enough on the financial struggles of everyday Americans. After their disagreements, Trump publicly attacked Greene and called her a “traitor.” He also withdrew his support for her re-election. However, he now seems to have extended an olive branch, suggesting he would be glad to see her back in politics.
Trump says he hopes Marjorie Taylor Greene to come back someday
A day after her announcement, President Donald Trump spoke briefly with NBC News. He said he would like to see Greene return to politics someday, even though things have not been smooth between them recently. “It’s not going to be easy for her,” he said. “But I’d love to see that.” Trump also added that Greene needs “a little rest” for now.
His softer tone came on a day when he seemed more than ready to let bygones be bygones. When a reporter asked him about Greene, Trump didn’t lash out. “Forgive for what? I just disagreed with her philosophy,” he said.
According to people familiar with the situation, Trump did not know in advance that she planned to resign. House Speaker Mike Johnson also had no idea. “Everyone in the world found out at the same time,” said someone close to Greene, referring to the video she posted announcing her decision.
This is the second time in two days that Trump extended an olive branch to someone he previously blasted publicly. On Friday, he had a meeting with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani inside the Oval Office, a meeting that turned out to be an unexpected friendly reunion, despite Mamdani once calling him a despot.
What happened between Greene and Trump
Greene, 51, entered Congress in 2021 as one of Trump’s fiercest defenders, but has recently broken ranks with him over the Epstein files, rising prices, and the government shutdown.
Earlier this year, she also pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and claimed Trump was stopping that from happening. Trump first called the push for the files a “hoax,” but last Sunday, he suddenly changed his position and said he supported releasing them. Congress voted to force the Justice Department to make the files public, and Trump signed the bill.
Before speaking with NBC News on Saturday, Trump wrote on his social media site that Greene chose to quit because she didn’t want to face a primary challenger in next year’s midterm elections. He repeated that she was “a traitor,” but he also thanked her for her “service to our country.”
When Trump was asked if he thought he could fix his relationship with her, he said, “I can patch up differences with anyone.” He has done this before with several people, including Elon Musk and former White House adviser Steve Bannon. Even Marco Rubio, whom Trump once mocked as “Little Marco,” is now serving as his secretary of state.
Greene represents northwest Georgia, a place where voters strongly supported both her and Trump in the 2024 elections. Even with the feud, many voters told NBC News they still support her. “She has a lot of courage and tells it like it is,” said Debbie Dyer, 60, who works at a carpet company in Dalton, Georgia.