How Did Marjorie Taylor Greene End Up Here?

Less than a year into President Donald Trump’s second term, one of his once-strongest allies is resigning from Congress, fueling  rampant speculation about what precipitated their sudden and shocking political breakup.

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene released her resignation letter late Friday evening, stunning Washington, D.C. after the high-profile deterioration of her relationship with the president.

The pair’s political rupture unfolded into spectacle in recent weeks, with Trump calling her a “traitor” and withdrawing his endorsement of her reelection bid. (RELATED: MTG Says She’s Resigning From Office)

My official statement. pic.twitter.com/x48zEugmPV

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) November 22, 2025

But Greene’s decision to leave Congress follows a noticeable shift in her political posture; after being a loyal and vocal foot soldier during Trump’s first term, Greene has sharply criticized the administration and has struck a more serious and conscientious tone in her media appearances.

Sources familiar with the near-overnight transformation told the Daily Caller that Greene was sensing and tapping into disillusionment in the MAGA base even before Democrats swept the 2025 off-year elections — but that she was also arguably motivated by personal resentments against Trump.

“I do think that she feels very confident in her ability to see where that puck is going, not where it’s at,” a Georgia GOP strategist told the Caller. “I think she respected Trump for it. I think she thinks that the people who ride Trump’s coattails benefit from it but don’t have the vision that he has. They don’t see the puck like she sees it.”

The Georgia native won her congressional seat in 2020 — without a Trump endorsement — and was stripped of her committee assignments for promoting conspiracy theories and rejecting the 2020 election results. Nonetheless, she built a national profile as a vocal champion of Trump and won over the MAGA base. During the Biden administration, she introduced impeachment resolutions against President Joe Biden and frequently clashed with Democrats, bolstering her standing with Trump supporters across the country and her constituents in northwest Georgia.

Throughout Trump’s second term, though, Greene repeatedly challenged the administration on cost of living issues, mass deportations, foreign policy related to Israel and Venezuela, and the Epstein files, suggesting that the president wasn’t living up to “America First” principles. Greene often shirked from taking direct hits at Trump, instead targeting staffers who may have been advising him on key issues.

“It’s criticizing everyone that Trump chooses to put around him and the advice that he follows on a day-to-day basis, but somehow not criticizing the man himself,” a source familiar with Greene said.

Ricky Hess, chairman of the Paulding County Republican Party, part of Greene’s district, said Greene has remained consistent in her ideology but has adopted a savvier communication strategy.

“She didn’t shift her core principles. What changed over time was how she communicated with them. She remained outspoken, but she became more focused on specific issues rather than the more theatrical style she had early on,” Hess said. “Her consistency in pushing an America First message was what many supporters recognized.”

Greene has leaned into mainstream media appearances and has pared back the spitfire style she was known for early in her political career. Her recent media tour included appearances on CNN, The View, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

Some speculate that the change may reflect Greene growing into a more polished politician than either Republicans or Democrats give her credit for, with the Georgia strategist noting Greene’s ability to anticipate the direction of the political movement and diagnose issues before its leaders even did. (RELATED: Chris Cillizza Floats Theory About Why MTG Quit Congress)

In early November, Greene saddled up to the desk of The View and appeared to charm the women around the table who had few nice things to say about her in recent years. When confronted about her past comments on conspiracy theories, Greene calmly replied she was a “victim” of “media lies,” and after Trump withdrew his endorsement, she told CNN she was “humbly” sorry for taking part in “toxic politics.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene on The View:

HOSTIN: “You don’t believe in QAnon anymore? You’ve changed?”
MTG: “No, I haven’t changed. I was a victim—just like you were—of media lies and stuff you read on social media.”

The rebrand is wild. From spreading conspiracy theories to… pic.twitter.com/vAY1GOaFa8

— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) November 4, 2025

Others, however, are more suspicious of her softened tone and embrace of mainstream media and seeming abandonment of the conservative media ecosystem that elevated her to prominence. One source who is close to Greene’s staff said the politician had been bragging about appearing on CNN, even though her office previously had a combative relationship with the outlet and dismissed them as “fake news.”

Chris Salcedo, a television host at Newsmax and host of the Chris Salcedo Show on radio, underscored how much Greene has changed her media strategy.

“I recently reached out repeatedly to MTG’s office for an interview on the radio show. She had been on both TV and radio several times in the past. This time, I wasn’t even given the common courtesy of a, “No, thank you.’ I’m unaccustomed to that from a conservative lawmaker’s office,” Salcedo told the Caller.

🚨 BURCHETT on the Trump/MTG beef: “You see that a lot in politics. You also see people kiss and make up. I don’t know that those two will ever.” pic.twitter.com/dYj4ROgj89

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 24, 2025

Personal spats with Trump have underscored concerns that her rebukes of the Trump administration are the result of bitterness rather than political ideology.

Greene publicly signaled interest in joining Trump’s cabinet during a Greenville County Republican Women’s luncheon in Greenville, South Carolina, in Feb. 2025. Greene indicated she would like to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a Greenville News report.

The position ultimately went to former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, while Greene remained in Congress and served as chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee during the early months of the administration.

Trump also reportedly spurned Greene in the weeks leading up to Greene’s announcement in May that she would not challenge Democratic Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff in 2026

Some in the GOP machine including the White House, Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) worried that the bare-knuckle political style that helped Greene win three terms in Georgia’s reddest district might not resonate across the purple state, which Trump narrowly won in 2024 and lost in 2020.

Trump’s political team commissioned a poll showing Greene losing a potential Senate race by double digits, and the results appeared in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report. Greene said the discussions had been private and suggested the poll was leaked, prompting a blistering response in which she blamed the “Uniparty” and called other Republican Georgia Senate primary candidates “generic Republicans.”

A source familiar with the matter noted that the timing of the polling being leaked by Trump’s team aligned with Greene’s shift in tone and approach on certain issues championed by the president.

“This all happened right at the beginning of May, and she’s basically been on the other side of every big issue the president has championed since then. That’s just the truth of the matter,” a source familiar said.

In addition to serving in Congress, Greene owns Taylor Commercial, a construction and renovation company she grew up working in and purchased in 2002, which has since managed roughly $250 million in projects, according to her website. She has softened on mass deportations, expressing concerns about the impact on business owners who rely on cheap labor, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.

Personnel changes have also been a notable factor in Greene’s recent shift. Longtime spokesperson Nick Dyer and a senior aide, both of whom had been with her since the start of her congressional career, have left her office. Dyer departed in May, while the aide later joined the Trump team following the 2024 election, according to a Hill report.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Humbly, I’m Sorry For Taking Part In The Toxic Politics”

“I’m committed, and I’ve been working on this a lot lately—to put down the knives in politics. I really just want to see people be kind to one another.” 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 in their 20s, whom she credits with shaping her views on cost-of-living issues and influencing her decision to step away from Congress.

The strategist noted that, like anyone, Greene’s circle of influence has shifted over time. While others can judge the impact that has had on Greene, it’s clear the environment shaping her decisions has evolved since she entered Congress, the strategist said.

“Somebody else can decide positive influence, negative influence, confusing influence, no influence — but these are things that have changed over this period you probably look at,” the strategist told the Caller.

Greene’s abrupt exit stunned many, with Hess saying he had no prior knowledge of the decision and warning it could reshape local representation. Greene, however, has positioned herself to remain a powerful force on the right.

“In her announcement, Congresswoman Greene spoke sincerely about her reasons and her future,” Hess said. “She set a high bar for what representation looks like in this district, and now all eyes are on the next chapter. Whoever the voters choose to fill that seat will need to have the heart of the district.”

The Daily Caller reached out to Greene’s staff for comment on this piece but did not receive a response.