US Politics
Marjorie Taylor Greene reveals latest rift with MAGA as she bucks Trump on ICE raids that were core of his campaign
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Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has a fresh bone to pick with Donald Trump after bucking him on the release of the Epstein files and fellow Republicans on the government shutdown — this time slamming the administration’s execution of ICE raids, the policy central to the president’s MAGA campaign.
During an appearance on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast, “The Tim Dillon Show,” Greene was unapologetic in critiquing Trump’s ICE raids — some of which notably left “nearly naked” children zip-tied and separated from their parents earlier this month in Chicago.
The 51-year-old Georgia congresswoman said that while she supports having a secure border and strong immigration laws, there “needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them.”
Specifically, Greene noted that much of the American labor force relies on immigrants, many of whom did not enter the country legally.
“As a conservative, and as a business owner in the construction industry, and as a realist, I can say, we have to do something about labor,” Greene told Dillon.
“And it needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them just like that,” she continued. “I’m going to get pushback for that, but I’m just living in reality from here on out. If anyone’s mad at me for saying the truth, then I’m sorry.”
Greene, one of Trump’s most loyal allies, has recently taken strong public stances against her own party on a variety of issues, including the government shutdown, the release of documents related to the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the war in Gaza and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace.
Her apparent drift away from MAGA has prompted the president to call at least two senior Republicans in recent months to inquire: “What’s going on with Marjorie?” according to an NBC News report.
Her comments on Dillon’s podcast come as House Speaker Mike Johnson said he told her Republicans were “working around the clock” to bring down healthcare prices — after she criticized her own party over the rising costs.
“I had a thoughtful conversation with her on the phone the other night,” Johnson told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream.
Johnson said Republicans were leading discussions on the shutdown and healthcare subsidies, and invited Greene to participate in those respective committees to learn of their apparent efforts.
“Marjorie does not serve on those committees so I offered to have her come in the room and be a part of that discussion if indeed she wants to do that,” he said.
Johnson claimed Republicans have “hundreds of ideas literally on the table” to make healthcare more affordable, but said Democrats refusing to vote to end the shutdown were preventing those plans from coming to fruition.
Greene took to X last week to vent her frustrations about the rising healthcare costs, writing, “I’m carving my own lane.”
“I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” she continued. “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING.”
Meanwhile, Johnson brushed off Greene’s outbursts last week, chalking them up to her not serving on the committees handling those issues, and saying, “She’s probably not read that in on some of that,” according to Politico.
