Marjorie Taylor Greene to Resign from Congress After Public Rift With Trump

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent MAGA ally elected in 2020 to represent a northwestern Georgia district, announced she will resign from Congress effective Jan. 5. The surprise announcement came in a Friday evening video in which Greene referenced a public falling-out with former President Donald Trump.

"Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,"

Greene said she considered the president’s labeling of her a "traitor" — after she backed an effort to release files from the criminal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a central reason for her decision to leave office.

Background and split with Trump

Greene rose to national prominence as an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, but relations between them broke down after she joined calls to release documents related to the Epstein probe, criticized the president’s emphasis on foreign policy, and pressed for congressional action to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies. The rift intensified when Trump publicly withdrew his endorsement, calling her "wacky" and a "ranting lunatic," and later urged House Republicans to support legislation directing the Department of Justice to release the files.

Greene did not rule out a return to politics in the future. In her statement she suggested that the repudiation by Trump’s allies signaled a broader rejection of the voters who sent her to Congress:

"If I am cast aside by MAGA Inc. and replaced by Neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Military Industrial War Complex, foreign leaders, and the elite donor class that can’t even relate to real Americans, then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well."

Impact on House arithmetic

According to three people granted anonymity to discuss internal House matters, Greene did not inform House Republican leadership in advance of her decision. Her departure will tighten Speaker Mike Johnson’s narrow Republican margin heading into next year.

Currently, Republicans hold a 219-213 advantage. That margin means Johnson could lose no more than two Republicans on a party-line vote before losing a majority. Several upcoming special elections could change that balance: a Dec. 2 special election in Tennessee (where Republicans are favored but not guaranteed to win), a Jan. 31 special runoff in Texas, and the April 16 election to replace Rep. Mikie Sherrill. If Democrats pick up those seats, the GOP’s working majority could shrink to 218 or 219 votes — and would remain vulnerable until a special election is held in Greene’s strongly Republican district.

What’s next

Greene said she will leave office on Jan. 5 and did not provide advance notice to House GOP leaders. She also emphasized that she may return to public life in the future. The coming weeks are likely to see heightened political maneuvering as both parties prepare for several decisive special elections that could reshape the House majority.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.