When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) started to push back against Donald Trump on the big, beautiful bill, I knew it was a sign of trouble, and said as much in my reporting at the time.
Greene was upset that she was passed over for a Cabinet post, then blocked from a Senate run by Trump, but just how far was she willing to go and risk the president's wrath?
Well, we just found out, as any thoughts of reconciliation with Trump were just tossed aside, as Greene has come out firing after the president doubled down on his “traitor” comments.
Last week, Trump called Greene a “traitor” for not backing his play, and she responded on the weekend media circuit.
She appeared on CNN Sunday morning and spoke with Dana Bash, stating, "He called me a traitor, and that is so extremely wrong. And those were the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger."
She then hit Trump on some of his more recent policy positions, such as the H-1B visa program, particularly when Trump said we did not have the talent in this country to staff specific kinds of jobs, and that these visas were needed to train Americans to do the jobs properly.
Greene responded, "Those are not America First positions. And continuing to really travel all over the world doesn't help Americans back at home. I really -- and I said this to him and I will say it out loud -- I would love to see Air Force One be parked and stay home."
On Nov. 14, Trump posted, "I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of 'Congresswoman' Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia.”
He continued, "Over the past few weeks, despite my creating Record Achievements for our Country ... all I see 'Wacky' Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!"
When Trump was asked about Greene’s response to his comment, including her assertion that he was putting Greene’s life in danger with his rhetoric, the president responded, "Marjorie 'Traitor' Greene. I don't think her life is in danger. I don't think. Frankly, I don't think anybody cares about her."
Greene had actually mentioned that she hoped to repair her relationship with Trump, but that all went out the window after round two from Trump.
On Tuesday, Greene responded to the latest round of attacks by Trump. She stated, “I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five, no actually six years for. And I gave him my loyalty for free … I’ve never owed him anything, but I fought for him for the policies and for America First.”
She continued, “And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition. Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans like the women standing behind me.”
That is a woman scorned, my friends, and we all know how crazy Greene can get when she gets behind something, as we saw her do many times to the benefit of Trump.
I keep going back to optics, and a civil war within the GOP during a difficult election season is not what we need. What we do need is for Trump and Greene to take this fight out of the media and sit down and discuss it like a couple of adults, but we all know that will not happen. Trump will continue to fire off his nicknames, and Greene will respond with her own version of venom, and this little spat will cost us more moderate voters who are already exhausted by the constant drama. We have to be better than this… we really do.
