Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'I Was So Naive' to See Trump as a 'Man of the People' — Kirk Memorial and Epstein Files Spark Break

Marjorie Taylor Greene, days away from resigning her seat as a Georgia congresswoman, told The New York Times she was "just so naive" to believe Donald Trump was a man of the people. In a candid interview, Greene described a series of ruptures with the former president that culminated after the memorial for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Greene said she watched Kirk's memorial on television when his widow, Erika Kirk, publicly forgave the person who killed her husband. Greene contrasted that act of forgiveness with a later appearance by Trump, which she described as a moral turning point.

"I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them," Greene quoted Trump as saying — a remark she called "absolutely the worst statement."

Greene said the comment revealed, in her view, "where his heart is" and stood in stark contrast with what she called Erika Kirk's sincere Christian faith. That moment, she said, prompted her to abandon the political creed she had adopted — "to never apologize and to never admit when you're wrong" — and to reexamine her faith and conduct.

Epstein Files and a Final Split

Greene told the Times that her split with Trump and Republican congressional leaders was cemented during a fight over releasing investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein. She described the files as emblematic of "everything wrong with Washington," saying they exposed wealthy, powerful people "doing horrible things and getting away with it," with women as the victims.

After meeting with victims, she said, she received a call from Trump in which he angrily warned that "my friends will get hurt" if the files were released. Greene said that episode convinced her to break with party leadership.

Policies, Isolation and Reflection

Greene has also publicly diverged from the administration and some GOP positions on matters ranging from the war in Gaza — which she called a "genocide" — to economic, health-care and foreign-policy priorities she believes fail working-class Americans. She acknowledged she was wrong to accuse Democrats of treason and said her change of tone has left her politically isolated.

In response to the interview, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Guardian: "President Trump remains the undisputed leader of the greatest and fastest growing political movement in American history — the MAGA movement. On the other hand, Congresswoman Greene is quitting on her constituents in the middle of her term and abandoning the consequential fight we're in — we don't have time for her petty bitterness."

Greene described herself as politically radioactive but said her core views have not changed. "I've matured. I've developed depth. I've learned Washington, and I've come to understand the brokenness of the place," she told the Times.