Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s sudden resignation from Congress — coming right after she publicly split with President Donald Trump — shocked Georgia, where many believed the firebrand could have weathered a primary challenge without the president’s support.
According to The Associated Press, Greene, long known as a fierce defender of President Trump before clashing with him in recent months, announced her resignation in a video late Friday.
The move came after Trump blasted her as a “traitor” and “wacky,” vowing to support a challenger in her next primary.
Greene said she stepped down to spare her district “a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for.”
But several Georgia political observers say Greene miscalculated the president’s sway.
Brian Robinson, a longtime GOP strategist who once worked for one of Greene’s 2020 primary opponents, said he believes she “could have won” even without Trump’s endorsement. He noted that Trump’s influence in Georgia has limits.
“Trump’s attention is going to be divided a million different ways in the spring of 2026,” Robinson said. “Georgians are that rare American breed who have rejected Trump’s suggestions in a primary and done so by fairly stark margins.”
University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock III agreed, saying Greene likely overestimated Trump’s power in a state where several Republicans have previously defeated Trump-backed challengers.
“Georgia may be an exception to the ability Trump has or is perceived to have in terms of determining primary outcomes,” Bullock said. “Georgians may be a bit more independent thinkers.”
Even so, Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said Greene remains popular in her district — and so does Trump. He expects candidates vying for her now-open seat to seek Trump’s support, noting the two Republicans “generally want the same things” despite their recent split.
Greene, meanwhile, argued that Republicans will likely lose control of the House in the midterm elections.
Had she remained, she said she would have been expected to defend Trump from impeachment proceedings — even after he “hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me.”
Local Republicans in Greene’s district are trying to support both leaders. The Floyd County GOP posted “unwavering support” for Greene while also reaffirming “total support” for Trump, saying disagreements between them “can be healthy in politics.”
But to Bullock, Greene’s resignation may expose vulnerability in Trump’s political image.
“It might be the first crack in Trump’s image,” he said. “The emperor has feet of clay.”
Other Georgia Republicans see deeper turmoil. Geoff Duncan, the former GOP lieutenant governor now running as a Democrat, called the divide a sign of a “Donald Trump crisis” inside the party.
“If somebody like Marjorie Taylor Greene … is not willing to stand with Donald Trump … that speaks volumes,” Duncan said. “Donald Trump’s biggest cheerleader no longer cheers for him.”
Still, Robinson said Greene’s departure might have less to do with Trump and more to do with burnout.
“I’m kind of in the boat that she’s exhausted and wants a break,” he said.
