U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent figure in the MAGA movement, announced on Friday that she will resign from Congress, effective January 5, 2026, just one week after former President Donald Trump withdrew his support for her.
In a video posted online, the 51-year-old Republican from Georgia, first elected in 2020, described her time in Washington as a struggle.
“I have always been despised in Washington, D.C., and never fit in,” Greene said.
“I will not let my supporters and family endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only for Republicans to potentially lose the midterms.”
Greene’s departure marks a striking rupture in the MAGA movement, which has been roiled by internal disagreements following recent Democratic election victories, including the New York mayoral win by progressive Zohran Mamdani.
The split appears to have been accelerated by Trump’s shifting stance on the release of government records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Greene, a vocal advocate for making the documents public, cited the issue in her resignation:
“Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked, and exploited by powerful men should not result in being labeled a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she said.
Trump, in a phone interview with ABC News, called Greene’s resignation “great news for the country,” adding that she had not informed him beforehand.
A MAGA Standard-Bearer Turns Away
Greene had long been a staunch Trump supporter, championing the MAGA platform, strict immigration policies, gun rights, and skepticism toward vaccines.
However, her outspoken push to release the Epstein files, paired with Trump’s criticism of her on Truth Social—labeling her a “lightweight” and a “traitor”—signaled the widening rift.
The resignation comes amid speculation about Greene’s political future. Some analysts suggest she may be positioning for a 2028 presidential bid, though Greene dismissed such talk as “baseless gossip.”
Greene emphasized her loyalty in her resignation speech, highlighting her efforts to support Trump and the Republican Party financially and politically:
“I fought harder than almost any other elected Republican to elect Donald Trump and Republicans, spending millions of my own money, while establishment Republicans secretly undermined him.” “My voting record has been solidly with my party and the president. Loyalty should be a two-way street.”
Her sudden exit from Congress halfway through her third term underscores the growing tensions within the MAGA movement and the Republican Party as the 2026 midterms approach.
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