Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, blames Epstein files for breakup with Trump

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Sunday that President Trump cut political ties with her because she’s pushing for the release of the Epstein files.

“Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking,” Ms. Greene, Georgia Republican, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I stand with these women. I stand with rape victims. I stand with children who are in terrible sex abuse situations, and I stand with survivors of trafficking and those that are trapped in sex trafficking, and I will not apologize for that.”

Ms. Greene said the country deserves transparency and that rich and powerful people shouldn’t be shielded if they’ve done something wrong. She admitted she doesn’t know what’s in the files, but said Mr. Trump’s resistance has left the public “confused.”

“Why fight this so hard?” she asked.

She also questioned whether Israel or other foreign countries could be holding the Epstein files over the administration.

This was her first TV appearance since Mr. Trump announced he was pulling his support for her and considering backing a primary challenger against her in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.

“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social over the weekend.

The breakup is striking.

Ms. Greene has long been Mr. Trump’s most vocal ally on Capitol Hill and a high-profile staple of the Make America Great Again movement.

She embraced his claims of a stolen 2020 election. After his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol to protest the election results, she stuck with him, while others made it clear they were ready to turn the page, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has Mr. Trump’s endorsement.

But Ms. Greene says the party has drifted away from the America First agenda, notably on domestic issues, and has focused too much energy on foreign entanglements.

She cited Mr. Trump’s decision last week to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander, on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marines.

Ms. Greene also has contradicted Mr. Trump’s insistence that the economy is booming, saying her constituents are still reeling from rising costs, including health care costs.

In a post on Truth Social Saturday, Mr. Trump said that all Ms. Greene does is “complain.” He claimed credit for preventing men from playing in women’s sports, closing the southern border and “stopping [former President Joseph R.] Biden’s record setting inflation.”

He noted that Ms. Grenee is not happy with him because he urged her not to run for the U.S. Senate or for governor, and because he has not returned her phone calls.

Ms. Greene said that it is fake news.

“Well, that is absolutely not true,” she said Sunday.

Last year, Mr. Trump signaled he was open to releasing the Epstein files, but he has since reversed course, calling the effort a hoax.

The late Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell were convicted of trafficking underage girls for sex. Questions have loomed over whether Epstein had a list of clients that might have included high-profile figures, inside and outside the United States.

The Justice Department earlier this year said its investigation did not find such a list.

Mr. Trump was friends with Epstein in the 1990s, but the relationship deteriorated in the early 2000s. Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, but has struggled to end speculation.

The House Oversight Committee last week released emails in which Epstein wrote that Mr. Trump knew about the girls.

House lawmakers are set to vote on releasing the government files after Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, collected enough signatures from members to force a vote.

Mr. Trump has endorsed Mr. Massie’s primary opponent.