US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his support from the ultra-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene after his long-time supporter criticized his handling of the affair surrounding sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump demonstratively broke away from the “crazy” congresswoman who, “despite my record-breaking successes for our country,” only ever makes complaints.
“I can’t answer the calls of a ranting lunatic every day,” Trump wrote. Other conservatives are now “fed up with her and her antics.” If there is a suitable candidate who can beat Greene in the Georgia state primary, he will support him with all his might.
From ardent Trump fan to critic
After entering Parliament in 2021, Greene quickly gained national prominence as one of the leading hardliners of her party’s right wing. For years, she stood out as an ardent supporter of Trump and ultra-conservative positions – for example on abortion and gun rights as well as on immigration policy, where she repeatedly made violent and racist statements.
Most recently, however, she went on a confrontation course with the president and, together with a small group of Republicans, demanded the complete publication of all files on the Epstein case – a demand that the Democrats in Congress also vehemently support. It will be voted on in the House of Representatives next week.
Before his death in 2019, the multimillionaire Epstein, who was well connected in influential circles, ran an abuse ring that victimized dozens of young women and girls – Trump also spent time with him, as several party videos show.
In an interview on Friday, Greene called Trump’s refusal to fulfill his campaign promise and release all Epstein files a “serious misjudgment.” She told CBS that she couldn’t understand his behavior.
After Trump’s public scolding, Greene accused him on the online platform X of lying. She didn’t try to call him, but they both sent each other text messages about the Epstein case on the same day. “Apparently that finished him off.”
Trump apparently wanted to “make an example of himself to deter other Republicans” from voting to release the Epstein files next week, Greene wrote. If the Democrats are united in favor of disclosing the files, it would only take the votes of a few Republicans to push the proposal through.
“Christian nationalist” with steep theses
Greene is one of the most controversial figures on the right-wing fringe of her party and polarizes like no one else in the US Congress. The self-proclaimed “Christian nationalist” has a large following on social media, although – or precisely because – she spreads crude conspiracy theories and repeatedly draws attention to herself with hate speech against minorities. She claimed that the government was manipulating the weather and that earthquakes were a reminder to people to apologize for their sins.
Greene also supported Trump’s repeatedly refuted claim that he was cheated out of victory in the 2020 presidential election using prohibited means. When the Republican had to vacate the White House for Democrat Joe Biden the following year, she continued to pay homage to Trump and said: “The party belongs to him. It belongs to no one else.”
