Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, has challenged President Donald Trump’s MAGA approach, saying he should “refocus his effort” and that Americans are asking why he is fighting “so hard” to prevent the full release of the Justice Department’s files on the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Newsweek has contacted the White House outside of regular business hours via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Tensions are high in the Republican Party, as the very base that Trump prides himself on creating has become split on a plethora of issues, which could threaten his support within MAGA.

Beyond the Epstein files, Trump is facing criticism over foreign policy issues, the state of the economy, the offer of 600,000 visas to Chinese students, and his unexpected praise for the H-1B visa program, policies which have been described as particularly anti-MAGA. These issues have arisen against the backdrop of wins for the Democratic party in elections across the country in early November.

What To Know

Appearing on CNN on Sunday morning, Greene was asked about Trump’s comments earlier this week after the pair became involved in a war of words on policy and the Epstein files, in which he said, “MAGA was nobody else’s idea. I know what MAGA wants more than anybody else, and MAGA wants to see our country thrive.”

Greene told State of the Union host Dana Bash, “What the American people voted for with MAGA was to put the American people first.”

Speaking about MAGA, Greene said, “Stop sending foreign aid and stop being involved in foreign wars. They [the American people] very much deserve to be put first. Cost of living is far too high, home insurance is completely out of control, those are two issues I’ve been very vocal on for months and months now, long before Republicans were shocked when those big losses came on those past Tuesday elections.”

“I think that the American people deserve to be put first,” Greene said. “That’s what Make America Great Again meant to me, and I think President Trump can do that again if he refocuses his effort, and I think that’s what I want to see, I think that’s what the country wants to see. Even if he’s attacking me, I want him to be successful for the American people.”

Greene went on to address the fallout over H1-B visas and the offer of visas to Chinese students and described these as “Not America first positions.”

Though Greene was once one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the MAGA contingent, she has broken with the administration on multiple high-profile issues as of late. In response, the president has taken to Truth Social to decry her as a “traitor” and “disgrace” to the GOP.

Greene said that the primary reason behind her public spat with Trump is the Epstein files.

Asked if she thinks Trump wants to hide something, she said: “I think that’s the part that has so many people confused is that the women themselves that I’ve talked to over and over again said that Donald Trump did nothing wrong; quite a few told me that  they had voted for him,” Green said, adding “Those are the women I would like to see in the Oval Office with support, I would like to see all of the women there with support.”

“I’ve no idea what’s in the files, I can’t even guess, but that is the question that everyone is asking, is ‘Why fight this so hard?'”

Recently released documents have renewed scrutiny over what Trump may have known about Epstein’s crimes. The president has repeatedly denied any knowledge of them and said he ended their friendship years ago.

Trump, meanwhile, has strongly denounced what he calls the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” asserting on Truth Social in part that, “the Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”

Greene has already publicly challenged Trump’s perceived opposition to releasing files connected to Epstein. Calls for their publication have grown this week as new emails mentioning Trump surfaced. The House is set to vote on a bipartisan bill that would compel the Justice Department to make all case files on Epstein public.

Four Republican lawmakers—including Greene, Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert—have led a discharge petition which has secured sufficient signatures to force a vote.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, shared the following statement with Newsweek: “Those emails prove literally nothing. Democrats and the mainstream media are desperately trying to use this hoax as a distraction to talk about anything other than the president’s many wins, including the Democrats getting utterly defeated by President Trump in the shutdown fight.

“We won’t be distracted, and the entire administration will continue fulfilling the promises the president was elected on, including cutting the [Joe] Biden-era price hikes.” 

The Epstein files have proved to be a continual problem for Trump. Initially, the White House said it would publish names and evidence about the disgraced financier’s associates, but it backtracked in July, prompting a backlash.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The Democrats cost our Country $1.5 Trillion Dollars with their recent antics of viciously closing our Country, while at the same time putting many at risk—and they should pay a fair price. There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, while speaking to CNN: “Continuing to really travel all over the world doesn’t help Americans back at home. 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 and there be nothing but a constant focus at the White House on a domestic agenda that helps the American people once and for all.”

What Happens Next?

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill to compel the release of the Epstein files soon. House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to bring the measure to the floor.