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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Marjorie Taylor Greene swiped back at U.S. President Donald Trump's calling her a "traitor," describing his MAGA following as a "cult."
Greene, a former Republican congressmember from Georgia and onetime Trump loyalist, publicly broke with the MAGA leader over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Nicknamed by her opponents "MAGA Marge," Greene's high-profile split was a rare fracture in a political movement glued together by unwavering loyalty to its figurehead.
"Him calling me [a traitor] has become a badge of honor because I’m not in his cult, I refused to bow to his demands to cover up the Epstein files to protect his friends, and I stopped fighting the hardest for a team that intentionally refuses to win," Greene said in a post on X, responding to a clip of Trump's remarks.
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The Republican race to replace her in the U.S. House is marked by jostling for Trump's favor and endorsement. He is soon set to visit Rome, Georgia, where Greene's former district sits. Greene stepped down in January following her dramatic break with Trump and MAGA.
"We have a lot of people that want to take Marjorie Traitor Greene's place," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night. "Many, many candidates, and I have to choose one. They say whoever I endorse is gonna win. But we have a lot of good candidates wanna take her place."
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The special election for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District is a crowded field dominated by Republican candidates. The deeply red district will vote first on March 10 before a runoff election on April 7 if no candidate gets over 50 percent.
Trump had earlier endorsed Clay Fuller, a former local district attorney who has become the front-runner in the race. The endorsement did not clear the Republican field, however, and Trump's comments on Monday night were open-ended despite his previous support for Fuller.
The Democratic Party is pinning its hopes for the long-shot seat on Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general who stood against Greene in the 2024 election.
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"It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Clay Fuller, who is running to represent the wonderful people of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District," Trump said last Wednesday in a Truth Social post.
The president continued that Fuller "is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Georgia, and many Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives," adding that the candidate "has my Complete and Total Endorsement," and: "HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!"
Former Georgia State Senator Colton Moore, another MAGA candidate for the seat who was also vying for Trump's endorsement, said he saw "pure sadness" in the district about the break between Trump and Greene.
"The district loves President Trump, they love Marjorie Taylor Greene, and they’re so disappointed and disheartened that these two weren’t able to mend their relationship and continue to represent MAGA values,” the Republican told POLITICO.
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