5 Most Shocking Parts of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Bombshell New York Times Interview

Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of Congress’ most polarizing figures and has built her entire personality as a provocateur. She’s clashed with mainstream media, including Fox News, and called NPR and PBS “communist” outlets. As the year ends, her latest about-face moment has folks scratching their heads…again.

Greene just surprised many by sitting with The New York Times for a candid interview about her break with Trump and the MAGA movement. Here are five things you need to know:

Greene Admitted to Being Part of a ‘Toxic Culture’

Greene told The New York Times that Charlie Kirk’s death prompted self-reflection. Known for combative rhetoric, QAnon conspiracy promotion and brazen cultural attacks – including claiming the White House would smell like curry if Kamala Harris had won the presidency and targeting Jasmine Crockett with a viral microaggression about her eyelashes, prompting Crockett’s impressive alliteration skills – Greene suggested that her actions may have reflected Trump’s influence.

According to Greene, President Donald Trump “trained” Republicans not to apologize or admit wrongdoings. “You just keep pummeling your enemies, no matter what,” she added. While her measuring stick for Christian-like behavior is debatable, she told the outlet, “And as a Christian, I don’t believe in doing that.” According to the outlet, a friend of Greene confirmed that she said, “After Charlie died, I realized that I’m part of this toxic culture. I really started looking at my faith. I wanted to be more like Christ.”

Greene also told NYT via a text message that Trump’s statement following Kirk’s death that he, unlike Kirk, hated his opponents and did not want the best for them was “absolutely the worst statement.”

Greene Cited Ways She Distanced Herself From the Trump Administration

According to NYT, Greene’s rift with her “political godfather” Trump grew as she broke with him and other Republicans on several issues: calling the Gaza war “genocide,” objecting to crypto policies favoring billionaires, criticizing foreign student visas, opposing tariffs that hurt her district and letting ACA subsidies expire.

Greene Said Trump’s Resistance to Releasing the Epstein Files Was Personal

Greene said that when she urged Trump to invite Epstein’s victims to the Oval Office after meeting with them in a closed-door congressional setting, he dismissed the idea, stating, “My friends will get hurt.”

Previously, Greene dismissed questions about Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein, saying photos of Trump with Epstein weren’t suspicious since he was pictured with many people. “Why would I think he’s done anything wrong, right?” she said.

That’s when Greene did something she had never done before, teaming up with Democrat Ro Khanna of California and Republican Thomas Massie in an effort to get the Justice Department to release all Epstein documents.

Greene Saw Her MAGA Movement ‘Going Off The Rails’

Greene watched the MAGA movement fracture, losing focus on her constituents’ concerns. She said she worried it was “going off the rails,” neglecting economic issues to argue about the Epstein files. “…For the love of God, what the [expletive] is the matter with these people?” she questioned.

Greene tried to go public with her grievances, but her tense relationship with the media — including Fox — made it difficult. She told NYT it was possibly because “I’m not for their foreign wars…I’m against Covid vaccines, and all their ads are big pharma companies.”

Trump Encouraged Her to Run — Then Called Her a Traitor

Greene said that Trump was supportive of her political ambitions, telling her repeatedly, “You should run for governor — you’d win.” But Greene discovered that encouragement was conditional. After she publicly opposed certain administration priorities, pressed for the release of Epstein files and collaborated with a Democrat to force action in Congress, Trump turned on her, calling her “Marjorie Traitor Greene” and posting his rants on Truth Social. Greene told The New York Times that Trump’s loyalty was “a one-way street — and it ends like that whenever it suits him,” turning the man who had once been her political catalyst into an adversary.