WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA—The “Make America Great Again” movement is fracturing in spectacular fashion as President Donald Trump publicly severed ties with one of his most fervent and longtime allies, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, denouncing the Georgia Republican as a “ranting Lunatic” and vowing to endorse a primary challenger in her district.
The explosive public feud, which escalated over the weekend, marks the most significant political rupture of Mr. Trump’s second term, creating deep fissures within the GOP base and underscoring the President’s zero-tolerance policy for dissent.
The Spark: Epstein Files and ‘America First’
The tension between the two leaders, which had been simmering for months over issues ranging from foreign policy to healthcare, burst into the open primarily over the push to release government-held documents related to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
- The Accusation: After Mr. Trump announced on his social media platform late Friday that he was withdrawing his support and endorsement, Greene fired back, asserting that the President was “lying about me” and that her insistence on releasing the Epstein files was “what sent him over the edge.” She is one of the few Republicans to sign on to a discharge petition to force a vote on the release of the documents.
- The Focus: Greene has also publicly criticized Mr. Trump for what she sees as a drift from his core “America First” principles, arguing that his administration is focusing too heavily on foreign affairs and not enough on issues like soaring domestic costs and the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- The Name-Calling: Mr. Trump, in a flurry of posts, lashed out at Greene, calling her “‘Wacky’ Marjorie” and accusing her of having “gone Far Left,” citing her recent critiques of Republican leaders during the government shutdown and her appearance on the daytime talk show The View. He debuted a new nickname on Saturday, referring to her as “Marjorie Taylor Brown,” stating “Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!”
A Threat to the Movement
The political breakup is being viewed by many analysts as a watershed moment for the MAGA movement, signaling that no Republican—no matter how loyal their past support—is safe from the President’s personal wrath.
Mr. Trump confirmed on Friday that he has been contacted by “wonderful, Conservative people” interested in challenging Greene, adding, “If the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support.”
Greene, who has devoted immense time and money to supporting Mr. Trump, made it clear that she is not backing down.
“I have supported President Trump with too much of my precious time, too much of my own money, and fought harder for him even when almost all other Republicans turned their back and denounced him,” she wrote. “But I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump.”
The Congresswoman later claimed she was receiving warnings for her safety and squarely blamed the President’s rhetoric for fueling “a hot bed of threats against me.”
With primary season for the next midterms approaching, the battle between the former allies threatens to create a highly volatile, expensive, and damaging intra-party war in one of the most visible Republican districts in the country.