You all have probably seen the news already. Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced that she'll resign from Congress this January.
Some believe that she's resigning because she fears for her life after breaking with Trump over the Epstein files. But I don't believe that is necessarily the case.
Instead, I think she's leaving because of a crisis in ideology.
The biggest problem with the MAGA movement is that the aspects of it that resemble a personality cult have taken over. You can see it in every word and action coming out of the Trump 2.0 administration. Trump is the only agency with any legitimacy. If he says the earth is flat, the earth is flat. If he says the Epstein files are a hoax, it's a hoax. If he says the current affordability crisis is "Biden's fault," it's Biden's fault.
I believe MTG, after breaking up with Trump over the Epstein files, has woken up to the truth about the personality cult. But I don't think that's where it all started. I think she always had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind.
You see, she still believes in MAGAism. She still believes in "America First," isolationism, and Christian nationalism, AFAIK. She still believes that there is a "Deep State" within the federal bureaucracy that seeks to enrich itself at the expense of everyone else.
But what she's seen as of late, even before the resurgence of the Epstein story, ran counter to her core beliefs. She saw that Trump was meddling in foreign politics. She saw that Trump was exacerbating the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariff policies. She saw that Trump was throwing Great Gatsby parties while her own constituents were worried about affording food and/or health care.
I think she now sees the truth, that MAGA has turned into a reality-warping personality cult. "Pwning the libs," getting combative with the media, cancelling late-night talk shows, and trying to win the "Noble" Peace Prize, all of that were no longer means to an end, but an end in itself. The MAGA cultists would tolerate all of that because they believe feeding Trump's ego will end up benefiting the nation overall.
She no longer believes in that. I think she wants to refocus on meeting the needs of her constituents and everyone else like them. She might even believe that the state of politics under Trump right now is killing her own people.
Hence the tone of reconciliation that she is adopting these days, at least on some level. Hence her bemoaning of the toxic political culture that she was once a substantial part of.
I could be wrong, though. I am no virgin at being wrong. We'll see how accurate I turn out to be.
She's resigning 2 days after she qualifies for a pension and healthcare for life. There is no crisis of anything.
Not a fan of hers, but wouldn’t it have been easier for her to toe the line and not incur the wrath of Trump/MAGA? And she wasn’t wrong. The first thing she broke with them on was healthcare during the shutdown. They were all complaining about the ACA and the subsidies, as they have been for 15 years, without offering a single alternative. They have nothing on healthcare whatsoever. It’s really pretty insulting to the base that Trump has never bothered to offer a single plan or way to make it more affordable. So, she was correct. And also on general affordability, which Trump has continually lied about, and on the Epstein files, which he has also lied about or avoided for the past six months.
IMHO, she was cleaning up her image as her polling numbers weren't great AND for her future "consultant " job.
Amazing that she decided to have a conscience just as she was about to qualify for pension/healthcare after being a pathetic shill for 5 years.
You don't find it odd how quickly she is rolling over and quitting now that she is fully vested?
The timing of her resignation, sure, maybe. But she could’ve resigned without criticizing Trump and bringing down holy hell upon herself. And my point is, she is absolutely correct in her criticisms, so I’m not sure it matters.
Shr's cleaning up her act so she can get a corporate consultant job
The criticism is her "excuse" for resigning.
Agree to disagree on that. I just don’t understand what your larger point is. I do think she actually cares about affordability, healthcare, and Epstein even if she’s a wackjob. And like I said twice now which you have not rebutted, she isn’t wrong…
On this matter you're more trusting than I am.
When a person is cruel, dishonest and engaging in grift, it's hard to trust them when they suddenly about face. Her accounting for her actions is a start, but it's woefully insufficient. Suddenly out of nowhere she's polite rather than rude, reasonable rather than ideological. Given the comment about the pension on top of that, I'm not willing to trust her. This is probably just a business decision to rebrand.
Trump told her no to a senate seat. She saw democrats win local elections. Her pension is coming up. She probably anticipates huge hits to the GOP in the midterms... shes jumping ship in the hopes of surviving in the private sector is my bet.
Her pension seems to be pretty negligible, for what it’s worth.
What struck me most was this line:
“There is no plan to save the world or 4D Chess going on”, which to me, is kind of an admittance from her that a lot of these right wing talking points or conspiracies are all bogus.
That healthcare coverage is probably pretty sweet though.
Literally any sane person would do the same
You realize that makes no sense, right?
Meaning anyone who is wanting to quit their job would choose to quit after they get the bonus or benefits ensured
The post is about her resigning due to a crisis of ideology.
Yeah? So what's weird about the time she is retiring. She has a crisis of idealogy and chooses the most logical time to resign
Any chance you are in the market for a bridge?
If she's resigning just to cash in on her reported net worth of $25M, then there really is nothing to talk about. She'll just fade back into obscurity and maybe go back into cross-fit.
I don't think that's the case. I think she wants to continue fighting for her people, just not in the way she used to.
She stalked David Hogg as a wannabe conservative influencer before launching a political career.
She wants a corporate job as a "moderate republican voice", just like Megyn Kelly did when she left fox to be white Oprah.
So...you don't think she is just a common grifter? Interesting.
She could be. I don't know. But I believe she made too much of a name for herself to simply settle for a "mere" $25M. Grifters with her reputation rarely stop at that level.
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Now do the healthcare.
If it's not important, then why didn't she resign yesterday?
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You are being purposefully disingenuous. You know the issue is Republican politicians voting themselves the best healthcare (for life) while withholding any healthcare from millions.
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What a sad and pathetic response. 😂
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That tops the last one. 😂
She s really quitting because of 'that other Greene' in NJ who apparently 'pulled a Tawana Brawley' on herself. Perhaps MTG was in on THAT PLOT by 'that other Greene'. (That's my conspiracy theory, and I am sticking with it!)
Winner winner chicken dinner! 🐓
Ninety percent of politics, especially DC politics is just a dysfunctional performative circus. It's performed by politicians who perform at the behest of whichever "string-pullers" give them most chance at re-election in the next cycle.
They're mostly chosen for their ability to convince the majority of the voters in their own party that this is primarily only the case for the other party or parties and their politicians. And many of them are really quite gifted. In some cases even extraordinarily talented at it. But they're seldom selected because of their abilities to comprehend, negotiate, or solve problems. It's mostly their ability to persuade. And their deep desire for re-election and continued political careers that make them willing to mostly vote however the party leaders, whips, and key lobbyists tell them to.
Anyone who sees this as a mostly partisan distinction is evidence that the their chosen politicians are really effective persuaders. And that the lobbyists are getting their money's worth.
"Americans are used by the Political Industrial Complex of both Political Parties, election cycle after election cycle, in order to elect whichever side can convince Americans to hate the other side more." - a quote from MTG's resignation letter.
She's not wrong. I've both read it and watched the video of her reading the statement. And I believe she's likely done her share of "playing ball" with a straight face and sincere tone while "carrying the party's water" like almost every other politician. They all "know". She's just willing for some reason to say the quiet part out loud. That is not just "the other party" that mainly performs for the circus.
It's not all black and white and there are certainly degrees between. Human motivations are seldom as simple or mono-factorial as many of us sometimes like to believe. I've been watching this game pretty intently for several decades now. And the most foolish thing I can probably do is over-estimate my own ability to really know with any certainty what the level of sincerity is regarding the statements of folks I've never even met and don't spend a considerable and consistent amount of time with. Hell, It's hard enough to really understand and not misread the motivations and sincerity of people I do actually know well and personally.
MTG was a true believer that realized it was always a rouse, not burning bridges is probably something she does in hope to not completely destroy her carrier and to not be harassed by the believers who "are still in"
She went from a middle-class small business owner to a multi-millionaire by regurgitating all the depraved talking points.
She misjudged on the Epstein issue and things got hard for her so she is bailing.
MTG resigning is more about the infighting within MAGA and what we are likely to see in a post Trump Republican Party. The infighting will get much worse over the next 3 years
This is already a given. I just wanted to focus on MTG in this post.
Nah. I'm sorry.
I have no more evidence than the next person, but that take gives her credit for more integrity and cohesion of thought than I've seen from her.
I think her feelings have been hurt by Trump one too many times. His setting the death threats on her was a step too far, and she's tapping out.
Not because her thinking is any clearer. Not because she's seen the dirt. But because she hasn't managed to become inner circle, no matter how hard she's tried.
Well if we go down that path, there are only two possibilities that I can see:
1) She takes her estimated $25M of net worth and forever leaves politics. Like I said before, she might go back to CrossFit or something.
2) She starts some sort of alt-MAGA revolution. Maybe a third party, or maybe a grassroots revolt within the GOP.
I think she’s invested too much in herself to simply walk away from it all. If what you’re saying is true, then she can’t resist remaining in politics, maybe as a permanent rabblerouser.
I will agree, though, that she failed to make it into the inner circle. Whether she tried hard enough to get there, though, I don’t know.
I would have said she did, because all it takes it kissing up. But Lara Loomer has done all the kissing up and the plastic surgery, and it wasn't enough.
So now I think men can just kiss up, women have to kiss up and be beautiful too. And young.
Perhaps we should just read her resignation notice. Per the notice, she’s America First, wondering why we’re fighting other people’s wars, sending money overseas, not bringing the deep state to heel, getting distracted by minor domestic squabbles, and generally not doing all the things that an America First person would want done. Makes sense to me.
that did not bother her last year or the year before or the year before or the year before.
Not according to the podcasts I’ve heard her on.
You are looking at the situation through an obfuscating anti-Trump / Anti-Maga lens.
An alternate take:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-responds-criticism-marjorie-taylor-greene-lost-way-rcna243102
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/trump-says-marjorie-taylor-greene-has-lost-her-way-amid-policy-rift
When did this sub contract a mass case of TDS? Do y'all know the origin of the people who started the so-called "Intellectual Dark Web?" Dave Rubin, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Dinesh D’Souza... all people who voted for President Trump. All people who support and follow his agenda.
Just rename the sub. It no longer has anything to do with any Intellectual dark web.
Stop using TDS as an excuse to avoid having to actually rhetorically defend yourself. TDS does not exist. It's a pathetic, completely fabricated attempt at giving yourselves a free pass.
I am also sick of this statement, because it is just as consciously, intentionally dishonest as the "TDS" claim. "Intellectual" in this context means agreeing with you.
TDS definitely exists but this main post is not it.
Lol!
Can't it be both? Plus the fact that she just got her deferred pension after 5 years. The culmination of all of it is probably most likely.
I think you're on point, though i don't see how ceding her power is the right move if in fact she does. Her, Massie etc have a ton of support among the base and this will only continue as newer and younger republicans are more likely to swing their way than to trump/cruz/jd etc. With the media support of Tucker, owens, Dave Smith even nick fuentes they could pose a huge challenge to 'traditional MAGA'
She’s got bigger plans in mind.
Her security should document, pursue, follow the money and prosecute.
You can have your opera in the theater of real life.
Not in Congress.
Bowing out is fine.
Trump and his followers have been like this since the beginning of his first term though. Why would she wait so long to resign now? I really don’t know, but I find it very unlikely that it’s anything to do with “meeting the needs of her constituents” instead of some other motivation that is primarily self serving.
During his first term, Trump was still tethered to reality. He still cared about achieving the ends through whatever means were available to him at the time.
Now the chord is cut. But instead of just gaining access to a wider set of means, now the means BECOME the ends. And it’s clear that Trump’s inner circle wants to cement itself as both.
Now you can argue that MTG tried to get into Trump’s inner circle but failed, which is why she’s resigning. That’s a possibility. But I think she’s still drawing a real distinction between the ends and the means. And even if she isn’t sincere about it, more public attention will be drawn to this crisis in ideology.
Maybe she's freeing up time for presidential run?
I think she doesn't actually believe in anything. The people she represents are very pro-Trump, so she was very, very pro-Trump in order to get the votes to get the job. The last election showed her and lots of other Republicans that Trump is losing popularity, so she is pretending to be anti-Trump, so she can stay relevant to the majority of people. Like most politicians, she could care less about anything. They have no values, and they have no true beliefs other than the belief in making themselves lots of money.
I don't have evidence other than her statements, voting record, and her resignation that lead me to believe any conclusion other than her "having a crisis in ideology" as you articulate.
However, if this announcement or coverage were to garner her enough support, it would not surprise me if she could run for some other office in 2026:
GA governor: Facing incumbent, Kemp (R)
US Senate: Facing incumbent, Ossoff (D)
Even if such runs fail, I wonder if such runs could get her a decent advisory gig somewhere, kind of like Kari Lake's political career of a few failed runs at the same types of positions as they related to another battleground state (AZ), yet Lake at least became a special advisor or potentially CEO of United States Agency for Global Media.
Evidently WSJ's editorial board wrote yesterday about MTG that she could make a run at the presidency for 2028: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-meaning-of-marjorie-taylor-greene-1face47f
I think running for GA gov or US Senate in GA is more plausible than this, as I wrote in an earlier comment here, but there's been a number of former presidential candidates who have boosted their profile & career by doing so even when not having a realistic chance in the primaries.
All political parties do this, that is the whole reason either an administration is successful or not. Some follow the left and some follow the right but whoever is more popular basically wins.