Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicly broken with President Donald Trump over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files controversy. The usually loyal Trump supporter faced significant pushback from the White House after supporting a discharge petition that would force the release of all documents related to the convicted sex offender.
Greene revealed she received multiple phone calls from White House officials trying to stop her from signing the bipartisan petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). The petition aims to bypass House leadership and force a vote on releasing all Justice Department files related to Epstein within 30 days.
Speaking on Real America’s Voice, Greene directly contradicted Trump’s claim that the Epstein files push was a “Democrat hoax.” “It’s not a hoax, because Jeffrey Epstein is a convicted pedophile,” Greene said, according to The Hill. “That takes away the whole hoax things. It’s not a hoax. It’s not a lie.”
Greene defends signing the discharge petition against White House pressure
Greene described receiving “phone call after phone call” from Trump administration officials who “didn’t want me to sign the discharge petition.” She said the White House officials wanted to focus on the House Oversight Committee investigation instead and expressed hostility toward working with Democrats on the issue.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Today [Trump] called it a hoax while these women were speaking out…It's not a hoax because Jeffrey Epstein is a convicted pedophile…One of the Trump admin officials came out and called this a hostile act against the Trump administration…The hostile act… pic.twitter.com/cErJnEhpcE
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) September 3, 2025
The Georgia Republican said she doesn’t blame Trump directly but rather his staff for not properly informing him about the importance of the issue. She told the president during a Wednesday morning conversation to host Epstein survivors at the White House, saying she wants him to “be the hero and champion of this issue.”
A White House official had warned that supporting the discharge petition would be viewed as “a very hostile act to the administration.” Greene took strong offense to this characterization, arguing that the real hostile act was “Jeffrey Epstein raping 14-year-old girls.” She said she put her “life and fortune on the line fighting to get that man elected” and felt betrayed by the anonymous official’s comments.
Epstein survivors demand full transparency as political pressure mounts
The discharge petition has gained support from 134 lawmakers as of Wednesday morning, including 130 Democrats and four Republicans: Massie, Greene, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The measure needs 218 signatures to force a House vote, meaning only two more Republicans are required if all Democrats sign on.
Epstein survivors held an emotional press conference on Capitol Hill, sharing their stories and demanding the release of all files. Marina Lacerda, who identified herself as “Minor Victim 1” in Epstein’s 2019 federal indictment, said she was “one of dozens of girls” forced into Epstein’s New York mansion when they were children.
NOW: Epstein survivors speaking in front of the Capitol.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) September 3, 2025
One after another saying they were about 14 – one 16 – when Epstein brought them in.
One was asked to work so much she dropped out of HS before 9th grade. pic.twitter.com/6JdwIIpQ1Y
The House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 pages of Epstein-related documents on Tuesday night, but Democrats and some Republicans argue that most of the information was already public. Speaker Mike Johnson has opposed the discharge petition, preferring the committee’s ongoing investigation, while Trump has repeatedly dismissed the controversy as a distraction from his administration’s achievements.
Greene’s break with Trump over this issue reflects growing tension within the Republican Party over the Epstein files, with many in the MAGA base demanding full transparency regardless of which politicians might be implicated.
