Marjorie Taylor Greene Alleges Trump Warned 'Friends Will Get Hurt' in Epstein Files Dispute
In a revealing podcast appearance, former staunch Trump supporter and Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that President Donald Trump personally warned her that his "friends would get hurt" if she continued pushing for the release of Department of Justice files related to convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. Greene made these explosive allegations during an episode of conservative commentator Jillian Michaels' "Keeping It Real" podcast, which aired over the weekend.
Pressure from the White House to Back Down
Greene detailed how she and three other Republican representatives faced intense pressure from the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson for months to withdraw their support from a discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote on the Epstein documents. "Here’s the interesting part. OK, there were only four Republicans, only four of us that signed that discharge petition: Thomas Massie [R-Ky.], myself, Lauren Boebert [R-Colo.], and Nancy Mace [R-S.C.]. Now, what was happening in the background for months leading up to when we finally got it released is we were getting pressure from the White House" and Speaker Johnson to remove their names, Greene stated during the February 15 episode.
She expressed confusion over the opposition, arguing that the release was crucial for transparency and exposing what she called a "criminal cabal of rich, powerful elites that I believe control everything." Michaels echoed this sentiment, agreeing with Greene's assessment.
Trump's Alleged Role and Personal Confrontation
Greene further revealed that Trump publicly dismissed the Epstein matter as a "Democrat hoax" and refused to engage with victims, which she said fueled the controversy. According to Greene, the pressure escalated when Trump personally called her in September, angrily berating her for supporting the petition. "And then, one day, I get a phone call from the president in September, and he is so mad at me, and he’s yelling at me, and he’s angry at me," she recounted. "And he’s like, 'You’re supporting Rand Paul Jr.' [a reference to Massie]. And he’s chewing me out for signing my name on Thomas Massie’s discharge petition to release the Epstein files."
During this heated exchange, Greene attempted to reassure Trump, noting that victims and their attorneys had stated he did nothing wrong. However, Trump allegedly responded with a stark warning: "Marjorie, my friends will get hurt." Michaels interjected, emphasizing the significance of this statement.
Wider Implications and Public Fallout
Greene also described how the White House pressured her colleagues, including taking Boebert into a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility and attacking Massie nonstop. She later claimed that the Epstein list includes numerous high-profile individuals, such as billionaires and heads of state, naming Larry Summers and Peter Thiel as examples.
This incident reportedly led to a public falling-out between Greene and Trump, with Greene recalling to The New York Times in late December that Trump yelled so loudly during the call that everyone in her office could hear him on speakerphone. The Times noted that this conversation was their last, occurring just before Greene's planned resignation from Congress following the explosive break.
The allegations highlight ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over transparency issues and the handling of sensitive documents, raising questions about the influence of powerful figures in political decisions.
