One of President Donald Trump's most loyal MAGA allies is now among his sharpest critics.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has called out Trump and questioned whether he is still an "America First" president, MSNBC reported Friday in an exclusive interview with the Republican lawmaker.
Trump this week blasted Greene, saying, "She’s lost her way, I think."
Greene hit back at the president's comments, retorting: “I’m America First, America Only. Hardcore.”
The contention between the two stems from whether Trump's presidency and focus are still on "the populist message that powered his rise. And it reflects a MAGA movement preparing for a future without Trump at the top of the ticket, with the next generation of leaders figuring out where to take the base he built."
Greene has been critical of Trump's attention to foreign affairs, namely his interest in ongoing conflicts, instead of looking at affordability issues in the U.S., including the high cost of living and the housing market.
“We didn’t elect the president to go out there and travel the world and end the foreign wars,” Greene told the outlet. “We elected the president to stop sending tax dollars and weapons for the foreign wars — to completely not engage anymore. Watching the foreign leaders come to the White House through a revolving door is not helping Americans.”
“One of the big campaign issues is Americans were fed up with foreign wars,” Greene said. “It’s like, get us out of this.”
Republican consultant Ryan Girdusky argued that it wasn't a shock that Trump has tried to secure his legacy on a worldwide stage.
“When presidents don’t have to run again, they do a lot of foreign policy trips,” said Girdusky, who helped run a pro-JD Vance super PAC in the 2022 Ohio Senate election. “They do a lot of things for the legacy. And Trump’s Middle East stuff is probably the most important of any president since Nixon.”
Greene, who said she does not plan to run for president in 2028, has apparently not spoken with Trump to discuss the rift and added that her point of view is unmoved, adding "100% haven't changed."
She has pointed to concerns among everyday Americans, including struggles her own three adult children in their 20s are facing. Greene described "what she views as a generation facing diminishing prospects."
“They don’t think they’re ever really going to be able to buy a home,” Greene said. “They were promised, you go to college, you’re going to get a great job. That doesn’t exist. That’s not reality.”
