Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who rose to prominence as a staunch defender of former President Trump and has more recently become one of his vocal critics, announced she will leave Congress effective Jan. 5, 2026. In a nearly 11-minute video, Greene sharply criticized the Republican Party, House leadership and what she described as the start of campaign season, saying it “means all courage leaves and only safe campaign re-election mode is turned on.”
Greene framed her resignation as the culmination of months of escalating clashes with Trump over his second-term agenda, most recently the dispute around the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She said the issue — and the way the president handled promises to disclose the records — was the final straw. “Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she said in the video.
She also said it would be unfair to her deeply conservative northwest Georgia district to force them into what she called a “hurtful and hateful” primary battle against the president. Greene warned Republicans could face poor midterm results, and added, “I refuse to be a ‘battered wife,’ hoping it all goes away and gets better.”
Greene is among a record wave of departures: she joins about 40 House members and 10 senators who have indicated they will not seek to return to their seats after the 2026 election, many retiring or pursuing other offices. Her planned exit will likely prompt a special election in the spring to fill the remainder of her current term.
Her announcement highlights widening fissures within the MAGA coalition. Over recent months, splits have appeared on foreign policy questions such as whether to strike Iran and how to support Israel in its war in Gaza, alongside disagreements over tariffs and other domestic priorities — areas where Greene has often broken with party leaders and the president.
Throughout her tenure, Greene has portrayed herself as ideologically consistent, arguing that the Republican Party and Trump have strayed from the Make America Great Again and America First promises. In her remarks she blasted what she called the “political industrial complex of both political parties,” saying both sides focus on convincing Americans to hate the other side and that “nothing ever gets better for the common American man or woman.”
Her departure comes as Republicans, including Trump, face setbacks after recent elections and amid difficult economic indicators. Greene’s resignation underscores growing questions about the future shape and leadership of the GOP in a post-Trump era.