Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a high-profile Republican closely associated with the MAGA movement, said Friday that she plans to resign from Congress. In her announcement, Greene argued that Washington’s “political machine” has sidelined everyday Americans and said she won’t stay in office if she believes she and her voters are being pushed aside.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment Friday night.
Greene, who has served in the U.S. House for five years, revealed her timeline in a video of more than 10 minutes posted to X. “I’ll be resigning from office with my last day being January 5, 2026,” she said.
In the video, Greene criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he has failed to bring key bills to the floor, and predicted Republicans will “likely” lose the 2026 midterm elections. She framed her decision as a refusal to remain in a political environment where she feels unwanted by party leadership or the president.
“I refuse to be a battered wife, hoping it all goes away and gets better,” Greene said. She added that if she is “cast aside by the president, and the MAGA political machine” and replaced by what she described as establishment forces—“neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, military industrial war complex, foreign leaders, and the elite donor class”—then, she argued, “many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.”
Her announcement comes days after tensions with Trump escalated publicly. The president recently denounced Greene as a “traitor” and withdrew his endorsement. Greene said she chose to step down in part to spare her district a bruising primary fight that she believes Trump was preparing to push.
In recent weeks, Greene has also criticized Trump on several fronts, including foreign military aid, health care, and efforts to release government records related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott reported that Trump reacted to the resignation by phone, saying, “I think it’s great news for the country. It’s great.” Asked whether Greene had warned him ahead of time, Trump replied, “Nah, it doesn’t matter, you know, but I think it’s great. I think she should be happy.”
Reactions to Greene’s decision poured in online. Her daughter, Lauren Greene, wrote on X that her mother is “one of a kind” and praised her commitment to “America First, American Only.” Political strategist David Axelrod noted the dramatic turn of events in a post highlighting Trump’s sharp criticism of Greene earlier in the week alongside his outreach to other figures.
Greene’s exit is likely to intensify questions about the Republican Party’s direction ahead of the 2026 midterms. Her split with Trump and departure from Congress could encourage further realignment within the GOP caucus, particularly among members facing difficult races in competitive districts.
