Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is resigning from Congress after her acrimonious split with President Trump, the Georgia Republican announced in a post on Friday evening.
Why it matters: Greene was one of Trump's earliest allies and among his most loyal supporters in Congress. But she broke with Republicans over health care costs and foreign policy, and her relationship with Trump dissolved over her push to release the "Epstein files."
- "If I am cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine and replaced by Neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Military Industrial War Complex, foreign leaders and the elite donor class that can never, ever relate to real Americans, then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well," Greene said in a video posted on X.
- Greene was first elected to Congress in 2020, representing Georgia's 14th district. Her last day in office will be Jan. 5, 2026.
The big picture: Greene has taken positions in recent weeks that have puzzled Republicans and irritated Trump.
- She's said her party has "no plan" when it comes to health care.
- She was one of four Republicans to sign a discharge petition to release the Epstein files, against Trump's wishes.
- In an interview with Axios in October, she slammed Trump's second-term agenda as "America Last."
The latest: Trump responded in a Truth Social post on Saturday calling Greene a "Traitor," and accusing her of calling it "quits" because she didn't want to face a primary challenger without an endorsement from the president.
- "For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD," Trump said in the post.
- "Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!"
- Trump told NBC News on Saturday it won't be easy for Greene to revive her political career but he would "love to see that." He said, as of now, "she's got to take a little rest."
Greene did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the president's post.
Between the lines: Trump claimed that tensions began after he showed Greene polling suggesting she could not win a statewide race, even with his endorsement, which he said he was not going to give.
- Trump's political operation in recent days had been fielding interest from potential MTG challengers.
- One name mentioned in pro-Trump circles is Clayton Fuller, a northwest Georgia district attorney who ran unsuccessfully against Greene in 2020.
What she said: "I have fought harder than almost any other elected Republican to elect Donald Trump and Republicans to power, traveling the country for years, spending millions of my own money, missing precious time with my family that I can never get back," Greene wrote in her resignation letter.
- "Meanwhile most of the Establishment Republicans, who secretly hate him and who stabbed him in the back and never defended him against anything, have all been welcomed in after the election," she added.
What they're saying: One House Republican told Axios that Greene gave little indication of her plans ahead of the time, calling her announcement "shocking."
- "But she's not wrong," this lawmaker, a right-wing populist like Greene, added. "I agree with her sentiments. I … have thought of doing the same."
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted on X: "I'm very sad for our country but so happy for my friend Marjorie. I'll miss her tremendously. She embodies what a true Representative should be."
The other side: Some Democrats expressed kinship with Greene, with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) telling Axios, "Mike Johnson has made the Republican majority completely irrelevant and the job of being a Republican representative totally unfulfilling. I think MTG feels the unbearable emptiness of being a Republican today."
- "I wouldn't be surprised if MTG runs for president as a right-wing independent in 2028," he added.
- Others gloated, with Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) telling Axios: "Well, I guess we're getting that national divorce she advocated for, except it's just us from her."
- "MAGA is finally unraveling, fittingly in a spectacular food fight," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).
What's next: Greene's resignation will shrink House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) majority, with Republicans now controlling just 218 seats. Democrats currently hold 213 seats.
- Under Georgia law, Governor Brian Kemp (R) must hold a special election within 40 days of the seat becoming vacant.
The bottom line: Trump has been privately expressing frustration with Greene for months, and has been asking allies what happened to the congresswoman.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with statements from Trump and additional details throughout.
Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Lauren Floyd contributed reporting
