In a revealing television interview, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has pulled back the curtain on what she describes as a dramatic and hypocritical shift in sentiment toward Donald Trump among her Republican colleagues following his key 2024 victory.
From Mockery to MAGA: The Private GOP Shift
Speaking to CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl on "60 Minutes" in an interview that aired on Sunday, the Georgia Republican confirmed that many lawmakers speak very differently about the former president behind closed doors than they do in public. "Behind the scenes, do they talk differently?" Stahl asked. "Yes," Greene replied. "It would shock people."
Greene, once a staunch Trump ally, described witnessing a stark transformation in the behaviour of fellow Republicans. She said she watched as they went from ridiculing Trump and his supporters to fully embracing him once he secured the party's presidential nomination last year.
"I watched many of my colleagues go from making fun of him, making fun of how he talks, making fun of me constantly for supporting him, to when he won the primary in 2024, they all started – excuse my language, Lesley – kissing his ass and decided to put on a MAGA hat for the first time," Greene stated bluntly.
The Fear of Retaliation and a Growing Rift
Her comments highlight a long-reported dynamic within the GOP: private criticism of Trump coupled with public silence or praise, often driven by fear of political reprisal. Greene attributed this to intimidation, suggesting "they’re terrified to step out of line and get a nasty Truth Social post on them."
This insight into Republican anxiety is echoed by others in the party. Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, spoke about the risks of dissent in April. "I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real," Murkowski said. "And that’s not right."
Interestingly, Greene herself has recently become a case study in experiencing that retaliation. After years of loyalty, she has broken with Trump on several fronts, leading to a very public falling out.
Greene's Break with Trump and the Backlash
The congresswoman's criticism has focused on specific policy areas, including her support for releasing the Jeffrey Epstein-related files and her concerns about the Republican Party's failure to deliver a healthcare proposal as Affordable Care Act subsidies near expiration.
These stands have provoked Trump's anger. In November, he withdrew his endorsement of Greene and labeled her a "traitor." Greene told "60 Minutes" that Trump was "furious" about her decision to sign a discharge petition supporting the release of the Epstein documents.
In a social media post on Sunday, Greene connected this shift to a disturbing change in the source of threats she receives. "All of the death threats came from the ‘left’ until I stood with the Epstein Survivors... and that’s when President Trump turned on me and called me a ‘traitor’ and then new death threats and harassments came from the ‘right’ or somewhere," she wrote.
The interview and subsequent fallout paint a picture of a Republican Party where public fealty to Donald Trump often masks private dissent, and where crossing the former president carries significant personal and political risk, even for former allies.
