Trump Withdraws Support for Marjorie Taylor Greene, Calling Her a “Lunatic” as Rift Over Epstein Files Widens:

President Donald Trump has publicly cut ties with one of his most loyal Republican allies, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, accusing her of going “far left” and calling her a “lunatic” in a blistering social media post that stunned many in Washington. In a late-night message on Truth Social, Trump said he was withdrawing his endorsement of the Georgia lawmaker, complaining that she had become someone who “just COMPLAINS” despite what he described as his successful record in office. Trump also claimed that Republican voters back home are “fed up with her and her antics,” adding that he would fully support any strong challenger who decides to run against her in the next midterm elections. The public fallout marks a dramatic shift in a relationship that once seemed unbreakable. Greene has been one of Trump’s most visible defenders in Congress, regularly echoing his political message and even wearing a MAGA hat to President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address. But the alliance has grown strained in recent months as Greene increasingly challenged the White House and her own party on several key issues. One of the main points of tension is Greene’s push for full transparency in the ongoing scrutiny of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Greene has become an outspoken advocate for releasing all remaining Epstein files—a move she says is necessary to restore public trust, but one that has drawn uncomfortable attention to long-standing allegations linking Epstein and Trump. After Trump announced he was withdrawing support, Greene fired back on X by sharing screenshots of text messages she had sent him about the Epstein case. She claimed that her insistence on releasing the files “sent him over the edge,” accusing Trump of working unusually hard to keep those documents from being made public. “It’s astonishing how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out,” she wrote. “Most Americans wish he would fight this hard for the forgotten men and women of our country who are struggling to pay their bills and losing hope in the American dream.” Greene also suggested that Trump’s attack on her was intended to send a message to other Republicans ahead of an upcoming House vote. That vote, scheduled for next week, will decide whether the Department of Justice must release all Epstein-related files, including flight logs, travel documents, names mentioned in the investigation, and materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell. The vote became possible after a bipartisan discharge petition—signed by Greene and three other Republicans—forced the issue onto the House floor. The Epstein case returned to the political spotlight on Wednesday when Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released new emails that they say further connect Trump to Epstein. In one message, Epstein told Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours” at his home with one of the victims. The White House dismissed the emails as meaningless and politically motivated. Trump has repeatedly insisted that the idea of an Epstein “client list” implicating him is a “hoax,” and he has urged his supporters to move on. Greene, however, called his stance a “huge miscalculation,” even as she said she does not believe Trump is hiding anything personally. Trump, meanwhile, claimed the rift with Greene actually began earlier, saying she was upset when he advised her not to run for higher office because of poor polling numbers. He added that with so many officials, world leaders, and responsibilities competing for his attention, he simply “can’t take a ranting lunatic’s call every day.” What once looked like a tight political alliance has now transformed into one of the most surprising Republican feuds of the year—and with the Epstein files vote approaching, tensions are likely to rise even further.

NEWS