Amid a growing clash inside the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement between President Donald Trump and one of his most loyal allies, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the president has unveiled a new nickname for her: Marjorie “Traitor” Greene.
Greene wrote on X on Saturday that, because of Trump’s rhetoric about her, she is facing “a hot bed of threats” from people “being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world.”
Newsweek has reached out to Greene’s press team and the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The public split between Trump and Greene, a Georgia Republican, is a rare and notable break inside the MAGA orbit. Greene has long been one of Trump’s most visible surrogates, rallying the hard-right base, defending him in Congress and boosting his message to grassroots supporters.
Recently, however, she has emerged as one of the GOP’s more vocal internal critics on certain issues, especially foreign policy and the Jeffrey Epstein files. She joined a small group of Republicans backing a petition to force a vote to release those files. The four House Republicans who signed the discharge petition were Greene and Representatives Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace.
Trump has dismissed the renewed focus on Epstein as “the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” arguing Democrats are using it to divert attention from their handling of the government shutdown and other controversies. He said that “only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”
What To Know
“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green [sic] is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday morning, misspelling her last name as he introduced the new nickname. Trump is known for assigning mocking monikers to political rivals and critics. While conservative activist Laura Loomer and others had already been calling Greene “Marjorie Traitor Greene,” this is the first time Trump has used the phrase publicly.
In a separate post on Saturday, he referred to her last name as “Brown,” adding, “(Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!),” and claimed she had “betrayed the entire Republican Party when she turned Left.”
Those comments came a day after Trump issued a lengthy Truth Social statement announcing he was “withdrawing my support and Endorsement of ‘Congresswoman’ Marjorie Taylor Greene” in the 2026 midterm elections. He went on to say that “all I see ‘Wacky’ Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!”
Greene has for years been one of Trump’s strongest and most outspoken defenders, frequently attacking Democrats for what she describes as coordinated attempts to smear the president.
On Friday, as their dispute was intensifying, she wrote on X that Trump had “attacked me and lied about me.” She claimed he is “coming after” her to “make an example to scare all the other Republicans before next weeks vote to release the Epstein files.”
In a Saturday update, Greene wrote on X that private security firms were contacting her with warnings about her safety, saying that “a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world.” She reiterated her long-standing support for Trump, describing him as “the man I supported and helped get elected.”
She continued by noting, “As a Republican, who overwhelmingly votes for President Trump‘s bills and agenda, his aggression against me which also fuels the venomous nature of his radical internet trolls (many of whom are paid), this is completely shocking to everyone.”
Greene also called for an end to extreme political hostility, writing, “The Political Industrial Complex and the toxic violent nature of American politics must end.”
Earlier this week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three emails showing Epstein, the disgraced financier, referencing Trump. In those messages, Epstein wrote that Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of Epstein’s victims and allegedly “knew about the girls,” prompting renewed scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with the sex offender. Trump has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has said he cut ties with him years before Epstein’s death. Several of Trump’s allies have labeled the Democrats’ move a political “smear” campaign.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor and served jail time, and he was required to register as a sex offender.
Following the swearing in of Representative Adelita Grijalva, Democrats reached the threshold needed for a petition to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. Four Republicans, including Greene, joined all Democrats in signing the petition. Greene has remained adamant that the files should be made public, arguing that “Americans deserve transparency.”
What Happens Next?
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said that representatives will vote next week on a bill requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to the investigation of Epstein and his associates.
