A dramatic public rift has erupted between Donald Trump and one of his most loyal supporters, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, placing her personal safety under threat following the former president's vicious social media attacks.
A Loyalty Tested
The fracture appeared over Greene's decision to join a push to unseal documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Some believe these files could contain damaging information linking powerful figures, including Trump, to Epstein's crimes. The former president has repeatedly dismissed the Epstein case as a 'hoax' perpetuated by Democrats.
On Wednesday, Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of only four House Republicans who sided with Democrats by signing a petition to force a vote on releasing the full Justice Department files concerning Epstein. This act of defiance appears to have been the catalyst for Trump's fury.
The 'Traitor' Accusation
Trump launched his assault in a blistering post on his Truth Social platform on Friday night. He branded the Georgia congresswoman a 'ranting lunatic' and coined the derogatory nickname 'Marjorie Traitor Greene'. He accused her of betraying the Republican Party by 'turning Left'.
Greene responded on Saturday, stating that the president's words had triggered a wave of threats against her. 'Those are the types of words that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger,' she said, calling his comments 'hurtful' and insisting she was not a traitor. She revealed that private security firms had already contacted her with safety warnings.
Trump Doubles Down
Despite her plea, Trump doubled down on his attacks throughout the weekend. On Sunday, he dismissed her concerns about her safety to reporters, stating, 'I don't think her life is in danger...I don't think anybody cares about her.' He repeated the 'Traitor' insult hours later.
In further social media posts, he called her a 'Lightweight Congresswoman' and a 'disgrace' to the GOP. He even suggested that conservative voters in her district should find a primary challenger, promising his support for the right candidate in next year's election.
In a contradictory move, however, Trump also wrote on Sunday that 'House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide...' This came after he persistently pushed back against reporters' questions on the same topic, at one point telling a female journalist, 'quiet, quiet piggy'.
This public rupture between two staunch allies signals a potential deeper fracture within Trump's Republican base and raises significant questions about the stability of his support on the far-right of the political spectrum.
