Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was once among former President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters, has responded to the President’s recent criticism regarding their .
“I was branded a traitor by a man whom I supported for five, actually six years, and to whom I offered my unwavering loyalty without expectation,” Greene stated on Tuesday at a press conference alongside victims of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California. “I secured my initial election without his backing, prevailing over eight male contenders in the primary, and I have never been indebted to him. Yet, I advocated for him, his policies, and the America First agenda. He labeled me a traitor for standing with these women and for not withdrawing my name from the discharge petition.”
“Allow me to define a traitor: it is an American who serves foreign nations and their own self-interest. A patriot is an American who serves the United States of America and its citizens, such as the women standing here with me,” she continued, referring to the Epstein survivors.
Trump publicly criticized Greene on Friday, following their disagreement about whether Congress should vote to in the Epstein investigation. Greene has been one of a few congressional Republicans strongly advocating for the release of these files and has openly supported the Epstein survivors. Conversely, Trump has spent months attempting to about the Epstein case, facing from many of his own supporters over his handling of the situation, and had long resisted calls to compel the files’ release before on Sunday.
Tensions between Trump and Greene escalated over the weekend, with the President labeling her a “traitor” and a “disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” in a Truth Social post.
At the Tuesday press conference, Greene, along with the Epstein survivors and her House colleagues Massie and Khanna, urged Congress to pass legislation mandating the Department of Justice to release the so-called “Epstein files.” The bill is scheduled for a House vote later Tuesday, where it is anticipated to pass after Trump’s sudden reversal on Sunday night, when he encouraged House Republicans to support it. “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files,” the President wrote on Truth Social, “because we have nothing to hide.”
Greene and Massie were among the who supported a discharge petition to force a floor vote on the legislation. If it clears the House, it may encounter further opposition in the Senate—where GOP leadership has not committed to bringing it to a vote—and potentially, legal experts have cautioned, from Trump’s. Trump has indicated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
