Less than a year into President Donald Trump's second term, one of his once strongest allies is leaving Congress, fueling rampant speculation about what precipitated their sudden and shocking political implosion.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene released her resignation letter late Friday, stunning Washington, D.C., after a high-profile deterioration in her relationship with the president.
The couple's political split has become a spectacle in recent weeks, with Trump calling her a “traitor” and withdrawing his support for her re-election bid. (RELATED: MTG Says He's Stepping Down)
My official statement. pic.twitter.com/x48zEugmPV
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) November 22, 2025
But Greene's decision to leave Congress followed a marked shift in her political stance; Having been a loyal and active foot soldier during Trump's first term, Greene has sharply criticized the administration and adopted a more serious and conscientious tone in her media appearances.
Sources familiar with the nearly overnight transformation told the Daily Caller that Greene sensed and took advantage of disillusionment with the MAGA base even before Democrats won the 2025 election, but she may also have been motivated by a personal dislike of Trump.
“I do think she has a lot of confidence in her ability to see where that puck is going rather than where it is,” a Georgia GOP strategist told the Caller. “I think she respected Trump for that. I think she thinks that the people who are riding Trump's tail are benefiting from it, but they don't have the same vision as him. They don’t see the puck the way she sees it.”
The Georgia native won her congressional seat in 2020—without Trump's support—and was deprived about her assignments on the committee to promote conspiracy theories and rejecting 2020 election results. However, she has built a national image as a vocal Trump supporter and won over the MAGA base. During the Biden administration, she introduced impeachment resolutions against President Joe Biden and has often clashed with Democrats, strengthening her position among Trump supporters across the country and among her constituents in northwest Georgia.
However, throughout Trump's second term, Greene repeatedly challenged the administration on issues of the cost of living, mass deportations, foreign policy related to Israel and Venezuela, and the Epstein files, suggesting the president was not living up to “America First” principles. Greene often avoided direct attacks on Trump, instead targeting staffers who may have advised him on key issues.
“It's a criticism of everyone Trump chooses to surround himself with and the advice he follows day in and day out, but somehow not a criticism of the man himself,” said a source familiar with Greene.
Ricky Hess, chairman of the Paulding County Republican Party, which is part of Greene's district, said Greene has remained consistent in her ideology but has adopted a more deliberate communications strategy.
“She didn't change her core principles. Over time, the way she communicated with them changed. She remained outspoken, but became more focused on specific issues rather than the more theatrical style she had in the beginning,” Hess said. “Her consistency in promoting the message of 'America First' was something that many supporters recognized.”
Greene chose to appear in the media and abandoned the fiery style for which she was known early in her political career. Her recent media tour included appearances on CNN, The View and Real Time with Bill Maher.
Some have speculated that the change may reflect Greene's emergence as a more polished politician than Republicans or Democrats realize, with the Georgia strategist noting Greene's ability to anticipate the direction of a political movement and diagnose problems before its leaders do. (RELATED: Chris Cillizza Theorizes Why MTG Left Congress)
In early November, Green sat down at The View and seemed to charm the women at the table, who had had nothing good to say about her in recent years. When Greene was asked about her past comments regarding conspiracy theories, calmly responded that she was a “victim” of “media lies,” and after Trump withdrew his support, she said She “humbly” apologized to CNN for engaging in “toxic politics.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene on The View:
HOSTIN: “You don't believe in QAnon anymore? Have you changed?”
MTG: “No, I haven't changed. I was a victim – like you – of the lies of the media and everything you read on social networks.”Rebranding is wild. From spreading conspiracy theories to… pic.twitter.com/vAY1GOaFa8
— Brian Allen (@allenanaanalysis) November 4, 2025
Others, however, are deeply suspicious of her softened tone and support for mainstream media, as well as her seeming abandonment of the conservative media ecosystem that elevated her to prominence. One source close to Greene's staff said the politician bragged about appearing on CNN even though her office previously had an adversarial relationship with the outlet and called it “fake news.”
Chris Salcedo, a Newsmax television personality and host of The Chris Salcedo Show on radio, emphasized how Greene has changed her media strategy.
“I recently contacted MTG's office multiple times for an interview on a radio show. She has appeared on both television and radio several times in the past. This time I wasn't even given the usual courtesy of, 'No, thank you.' I'm not used to that from a conservative legislator's office,” Salcedo told The Caller.
🚨 BURCHET on the controversy between Trump and MTG: “You see it a lot in politics. You also see people kissing and making up. I don't know if those two ever will.” pic.twitter.com/dYj4ROgj89
— Daily Call (@DailyCaller) November 24, 2025
Her personal spats with Trump have underscored concerns that her rebukes of the Trump administration are a result of bitterness rather than political ideology.
Greene publicly stated her interest in joining Trump's cabinet during the Greenville County Republican Women's luncheon in Greenville, South Carolina in February 2025. Greene has said she would like to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to the Greenville News. report.
The position ultimately went to the former governor of South Dakota. Kristi Noemwhile Greene remained in Congress and served as chair of the House Oversight Committee's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee during the early months of the administration.
Trump also reportedly rejected Greene in the weeks leading up to his speech. announcement in May, she will not challenge Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.
Some GOP officials, including the White House, the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), are concerned that the hardline political style that helped Greene win three terms in Georgia's reddest county may not resonate in the purple state that Trump narrowly won in 2024 and lost in 2020.
Trump's political team commissioned a poll showing Greene losing the potential Senate race by double digits, and the results were published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). report. Greene said the discussions were private and suggested the poll results had been leaked, prompting a backlash in which she blamed the “United Party” and called other candidates in the Georgia Republican Senate primary “typical Republicans.”
A source familiar with the matter noted that the timing of the poll released by Trump's team coincided with a change in Greene's tone and approach to some of the issues championed by the president.
“This all happened at the very beginning of May, and she has essentially been on the other side of every big issue the president has championed since then. That's the whole truth,” said a source familiar.
In addition to her work in Congress, Greene owns Taylor Commercial, the construction and renovation company she grew up with and acquired in 2002. Since then, she says she has managed about $250 million worth of projects. website. She has softened on mass deportations, raising concerns about the impact on business owners who rely on cheap labor, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Personnel changes were also a prominent factor in Greene's recent transition. A longtime press secretary and senior aide who worked with her from the start of her congressional career left her office. One of them joined Trump's team after the 2024 election, according to the Hill. report.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Humblely, I'm sorry I took part in toxic politics'
“I'm determined, and I've been working hard on this lately, to put the knives out of politics. I really just want people to be kind to each other.” pic.twitter.com/qe4EZgA3mm
— RCP Video (@rcpvideo) November 16, 2025
Her inner circle now includes her boyfriend, Real America's Voice White House correspondent Brian Glenn, and her children, both 20, whom she credits with shaping her views on cost-of-living issues and influencing her decision to resign from Congress.
The strategist noted that, like any person, Greene's circle of influence has changed over time. While others may judge the impact this has had on Greene, it is clear that the environment influencing her decisions has changed since she entered Congress, the strategist said.
“Someone else might define positive impact, negative impact, confusing impact or no impact — but those are the things that have changed over the period that you're likely to look at,” the strategist told the Caller.
Greene's sudden departure stunned many, with Hess saying he had no advance knowledge of the decision and warning it could change local representation. Green, however, has positioned himself as a powerful force on the right flank.
“In her statement, Congresswoman Greene spoke candidly about her reasons and her future,” Hess said. “She has set a high bar for what representation in this district should look like, and now all eyes are on the next chapter. Whoever voters choose to fill this seat will need to have the heart of the district.”
The Daily Caller reached out to Greene's staff for comment on this article but did not receive a response.
