We look at President Trump's peace plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and what we can expect now that he has signed a bill to release Jeffrey Epstein's files.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced last night that she will retire in January. The Georgia Republican said that, with the exception of differences with President Trump on several issues, including the release of Jeffrey Epstein's files, she has been loyal to President Trump.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: My voting record is entirely in favor of my party and the president. Loyalty should be a two-way street.
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving joins us. Ron, thanks for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: In response to Representative Taylor Greene's statement this morning, President Trump called her a traitor on Truth Social. Does this tell us anything more about what's going on in the Republican Party?
ELVING: Of course, that's the price of crossing swords with this particular president. Insisting on absolute loyalty has become Trump's calling card. But this spat also says something about what is happening in the party. The remarkable unity that has sustained Republicans in the Trump era has been tested not only by the Epstein affair but also by deep divisions over policy, especially foreign policy toward Ukraine and especially toward Israel.
SIMON: President Trump also criticized some Democratic lawmakers this week, accusing them of inciting insurrection over a video they released saying military personnel are legally allowed to refuse illegal orders. The President wrote in an online post that this is, quote, “punishable by death.” What kind of threat is this, especially at a time when we are seeing violence against public figures, including President Trump himself?
ELVING: That's similar to what Trump has said about people who have challenged him in the past, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top uniformed officer in the United States, who refused to help Trump in his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Now the fact is that our military is sworn to defend the Constitution and follow orders as long as they are lawful. The problem is what to do when the orders clearly go beyond the law.
SIMON: President Trump on Thursday signed a bill authorizing the release of Jeffrey Epstein's files – a complete reversal of his course, of course. What's next and when?
ELVING: We'll have to wait up to 30 days to see what's in the files, but there are a lot of question marks there. What are the exceptions, derogations, special circumstances that may delay some files or parts of them? Who will make the decision, and who will check this decision, and who can resist if not all files are published?
SIMON: The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll this week shows 80% of Americans have little or no confidence in Congress. Now, of course, we have to add the political parties, the Supreme Court, the presidency, and the media, which perform only slightly better. What might this mean as we enter the midterm campaigns?
ELVING: Trump's ratings are now falling, and they're at the same level they were eight years ago, heading into a cycle where his party lost a majority and lost control of the House in 2018. And the departure of Marjorie Taylor Greene and others signals deeper concerns within the Republican Party about the economy and the general perception of Trump and his policies. This means that officials who would normally have no trouble getting re-elected may find it difficult this time around, and that's a good thing. Whichever party is in power is good for democracy. This means incumbents have to campaign and defend their votes.
But Scott, let me go back to what I said last week. I said there would be no more elections until the next health insurance shutdown. I should have said there will be no more multi-state election days or big tests or anything like that because a special election is coming up in a deep red Tennessee county. There's a Trump-backed Republican named Matt Van Epps and a Democratic state legislator from Nashville named Aftin Ben. Trump won the district by 22 points in 2024, but polls show the current race tightening. And the voting will take place on December 2.
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving, thanks so much for being with us. Talk to you soon.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
© 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of Use And permissions pages in www.npr.org for more information.
The accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript may be modified to correct errors or accommodate audio updates. Audio on npr.org may be edited after it is originally broadcast or published. The authoritative recording of NPR programs is the audio recording.
