Former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called President Donald Trump a "traitor" in an interview with CNN following a damning report from the New York Times about the Trump administration's fight to prevent the release of the Epstein files.
Once a prominent ally of Trump's, Greene has turned against the administration, becoming a target for Trump and MAGA Republicans in the process.
Late last year, she likened Trump to "evil people" after the Department of Justice released thousands of new Epstein files documents, many of which included references to Trump.
Trump distanced himself from Greene after she told Politico that she thinks Trump is going in “insanely the wrong direction" by pushing back against efforts to release the Epstein files. She called releasing the files and supporting the victims of the late financier, sex trafficker, and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein "just like the most common sense, easiest thing in the world."
The Times reported this week that the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files evolved into a significant internal dispute, with Vice President JD Vance warning colleagues that the issue posed a major political threat. Senior officials reportedly convened multiple meetings in the Situation Room—often without Trump present—to discuss how to respond.
Vance reportedly favored releasing all available files before Congress could act on legislation that would require broader disclosure. At the same time, many White House officials were said to be focused less on criticism from political opponents and more on the risk that the controversy could erode support among Trump's core MAGA base, a concern that reportedly shaped much of the administration's response.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles viewed Vance's concerns as overstated and believed he had become too influenced by conspiracy theories surrounding the case. Participants in the discussions reportedly included then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, communications director Steven Cheung, former deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Greene voiced unequivocal disgust in remarks to CNN's Kaitlan Collins:
“They should be considered traitors. They’re traitors, the ones that refused to release the Epstein Files, want to cover up for pedophiles and rapists and all sorts of disgusting things in these files. Those are the traitors to the American people, and they should be ashamed of themselves."
When asked whether her statements also applied to Trump himself, she responded:
“I’m saying exactly that. He told me on the phone that his friends would get hurt and that’s why he’s against releasing the Epstein Files. And I think we’ve seen a lot of that dribble out. So yeah, it all matches, it completely adds up. From the phone call I had with the president, to this report that is coming out, it totally, it all lines up.”
Greene was referring to comments she recounted in a December 2025 New York Times profile, in which she claimed Trump warned that exposing people connected to Epstein would cause some of his friends to be harmed politically or personally.
According to Greene's account, the dispute arose after she announced at a news conference that she intended to reveal the identities of men who had abused Epstein's victims. The event followed a closed-door meeting of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee with women who said they had been victimized by Epstein.
Greene said Trump called her afterward to voice his displeasure with her remarks. The Times reported that others nearby could hear Trump raising his voice during the speakerphone conversation. Greene recalled telling Trump that she did not understand why he was resisting efforts to expose those involved.
When Collins said she found it “pretty remarkable” to hear Greene refer to Trump as a "traitor," Greene was firm:
“What is remarkable to me is that this administration, people that we voted for, demanding transparency, the man that campaigned all over the country, claiming that he would be the one to drain the swamp, is the very man that fought to keep the Epstein Files from being released."
"And then he, in turn, called me the traitor, cause I fought to release the Epstein Files."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
While there's no doubt Greene played a major role in backing much of the MAGA movement's overarching goals, many feel her refusal to cave on this issue shows just how badly the Trump administration has miscalculated where the Epstein files are concerned.
The Times report underscores just how divided the Trump administration is over the Epstein files.
Meanwhile, "inside the White House, Trump had no interest in releasing anything."
Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
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