Take a recent interview by Georgia Republican Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene with CBS’s 60 Minutes. In the interview, she opened up about the intense blowback she’s received for her opposition to former President Donald Trump’s docking of the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. Greene said she got threats directed both at her and her son after her critical outburst. What set the stage for perhaps the most telling Sunday show interview in recent memory was her evolving relationship with Trump and the GOP.
Greene, once one of Trump’s most loyal defenders, has now decided to cut bait publicly with Trump. This transformation was apparently prompted after he called her a “traitor” on Twitter. This public condemnation has resulted in what she referred to as a tsunami of death threats against her. For her testimony, she wrote that the threats were originally generated by people on the political left. They changed their tune to those on the right as soon as her position on Epstein’s survivors was made known. Greene emphasized how grave these threats are. She’s reported hundreds of them to the U.S. Capitol Police.
Speaking during his interview, Greene observed the terror that most Republicans feel at the thought of criticizing Trump in public. She stated, “I think they’re terrified to step out of line and get a nasty Truth Social post on them.” This sentiment underscores a broader concern within the party regarding loyalty to Trump, particularly as he continues to dominate the political landscape heading into the 2024 election.
Greene’s wingnut remarks help explain what’s been even more shocking among her fellow members of Congress. She fumed that so many Republicans laughed at Trump behind closed doors. The moment he won the party’s nomination for November’s presidential election, they hastily fell in line. “I watched many of my colleagues go from making fun of him…to when he won the primary in 2024, they all started – excuse my language, Lesley – kissing his ass,” Greene noted.
In addition to giving a masterclass for addressing political attacks, Greene shared a touching personal moment. Here, she shares her new personal MAGA hat story wearing one for the very first time. She said that sending this correspondence characterized her complicated bond with Trump and his magical thinkers.
As Greene prepares to leave Congress in January, her reflections on her time in office and her shifting loyalties highlight the ongoing tensions within the Republican Party. The division between supporting Trump and addressing critical issues like justice for Epstein’s survivors continues to complicate the party’s dynamics.