Trump Cuts Ties With ‘Wacky’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, Once a Top MAGA Defender

President Donald Trump has publicly severed ties with one of his most loyal MAGA allies, labeling Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene “’Wacky’ Marjorie” and vowing to endorse a primary challenger against her in next year’s midterms “if the right person runs.”

The break marks the culmination of months of tension as Greene has shifted her political posture and clashed more frequently with Republican leadership. Once a MAGA standard-bearer — even wearing the signature red cap at President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address and serving as an informal conduit between Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans — Greene has recently criticized her own party over the federal government shutdown and lack of action on health-care costs.

Accusing the Georgia congresswoman of veering “Far Left,” Trump claimed she has done little lately except “COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” He also mocked her frustration that he no longer returns her calls, writing, “I can’t take a ranting lunatic’s call every day.”

Greene fired back on X, saying Trump had “attacked me and lied about me.” She posted a screenshot of a message she said she sent Trump earlier in the day urging him to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, claiming that issue “is what sent him over the edge.” She questioned why Trump appears so determined to block their release ahead of next week’s House vote on the matter.

Greene wrote that she had given Trump “too much of my precious time” and “too much of my own money,” adding, “I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump.”

Trump’s comments capped weeks of growing friction, heightened after recent off-cycle elections in New Jersey and Virginia, where voters backed Democrats amid concerns about the cost of living. Greene told NBC News last week that foreign leaders passing through the White House was “not helping Americans,” arguing Trump should focus on inflation instead of foreign policy. Trump responded that Greene had “lost her way.”

Speaking to reporters Friday aboard his flight from Washington to Florida, Trump said “something happened to her over the last month or two.” He argued that if he hadn’t recently traveled to China to meet Xi Jinping, U.S. jobs — including those in Georgia — would have been at risk due to China’s restrictions on magnet exports. He also said people were already approaching him about challenging Greene: “She’s lost a wonderful conservative reputation.”

Greene’s frustration with the GOP establishment has simmered for months. In May, she announced she would not challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, blasting Republican donors who doubted her viability. In June, she openly sided with Tucker Carlson after Trump dismissed the commentator as “kooky,” exposing growing rifts within MAGA circles over U.S. policy toward Iran.

The divide widened in July when she ruled out a run for governor and criticized a Republican “good ole boy” system she said threatened the party’s hold on the state. In recent weeks, she has attempted to broaden her appeal with interviews aimed at audiences beyond Trump loyalists. Asked on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast whether she might run for president in 2028, Greene said she “hates politics” and simply wants “to fix problems,” though she did not rule out a bid.

Her rebranding effort peaked with appearances on Bill Maher’s “Real Time” and ABC’s “The View.” Some commentators remarked on her more moderate tone as she criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for failing to call Republicans back to Washington and for lacking a health-care plan.

“I feel like I’m sitting next to a completely different Marjorie Taylor Greene,” said “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.

“Maybe you should become a Democrat, Marjorie,” joked Joy Behar.

“I’m not a Democrat,” Greene replied. “I think both parties have failed.”