Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once recognized for being a , has emerged as a considerable nuisance to the GOP.
The Republican congresswoman for Georgia’s northwest has recently reiterated and amplified her critiques of her own party, with her current focus being the .
“I am not attributing fault to the President,” Greene stated. “My actual criticism is directed at the Speaker and Leader [John] Thune in the Senate. This outcome is unacceptable.” And she further explained, clarifying her stance on healthcare—a key point of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans during the shutdown—on October 6, saying: “I am not adhering to the party’s official stance on this, nor am I engaging in loyalty tests. … I am creating my unique approach.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, La.) conveyed that he held a “thoughtful conversation” with Greene to address concerns, noting that he “proposed she participate in that discussion if she is indeed willing.”
“Numerous actions are possible,” Johnson further remarked. “However, achieving consensus is vital within a substantial, deliberative public assembly like this one.”
Other Republicans have shown less sympathy for Greene’s dissenting actions. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R, W. Va.) criticized Greene for her departure from party leadership regarding the government shutdown. “I grasp the frustrations, but I believe it’s completely unfounded to suggest that Republicans have not entered negotiations and are not holding discussions,” Capito stated in a Thursday segment on CNN’s Inside Politics.
However, the shutdown dispute is not the first instance this year Greene has diverged from her party. She the Trump Administration’s military action in Iran, has labeled U.S. ally Israel’s war in Gaza a “,” and has demanded openness in the Epstein investigation which the Administration and Republican congressional leaders have reportedly tried to obscure—leading to reportedly inquiring of several senior Republicans, “What’s happening with Marjorie?”
Meanwhile, Democrats have capitalized on the moment to emphasize their unexpected new supporter. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer commented last Tuesday: “I believe this marks the first time I’ve said this, but, regarding this topic, Representative Greene expressed it perfectly … Representative Greene is entirely correct.” And Sen. Raphael Warnock (D, Ga.) informed: “You are about to hear me say words I never imagined: Marjorie Taylor Greene is right.”
Greene’s increasing autonomy
In a Daily Mail interview published in August, Greene conveyed that she is unsure if she wishes to remain affiliated with the Republican Party should its current direction persist.
Nonetheless, her perceived alignment with Democrats has its boundaries. In a recent X post, Greene responded to a video on X by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that blamed Republicans for the shutdown: “DEMOCRATS caused the healthcare crisis in America in 2010 by passing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare,” she declared.
The Georgia congresswoman, first elected in 2020, has consistently stated her support for Trump, but she recently asserted that she is not a “blind follower” of his.
“I am not an unquestioning subordinate to the President, and I do not believe anyone should be,” Greene commented in a statement. “I am a member of Congress. We are a distinct branch of government, and I was not chosen by the President. I was not elected by anyone working in the White House. My election was by my district. That is whom I represent, and I was elected without the President’s endorsement, and, in my opinion, that has greatly benefited me.”
NBC News reported, referencing unnamed Republican sources, that Greene “felt particularly slighted after the White House persuaded her against a Senate bid,” having already been disheartened by not receiving an Administration role.
However, Greene dismissed her aspirations for the upper chamber. “I do not wish to serve in that body. Consider them. They are quite literally responsible for the current government shutdown,” she informed NBC News. “I believe those are merely attempts to sideline me or to, so to speak, brush me aside. And I genuinely do not mind.”
Her consistent deviations from the party line as have caused some within MAGA-world to refer to Greene as a RINO—“Republican in Name Only.”
“Do not be surprised if she campaigns for president as a Democrat in 2028,” far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer stated on Sunday. “She is attempting to attract the most anti-Trump, left-leaning figures to rebrand her image and gain acceptance from the left. She seeks vengeance on President Trump because he did not back her Senate and Gubernatorial campaigns in Georgia. She aims to dismantle MAGA because she is not its leader.”
Conversely, some argue she is forging a path even further to the right. “What embodies the MAGA ethos more than remaining faithful to your populist, anti-establishment, and anti-elite foundations?” Politico questioned.
Regardless, Greene’s increasing autonomy presents a threat to Republican power: given a slim majority in the lower chamber, every legislator who votes against the party line could disrupt Trump’s and the GOP’s objectives.
