In a blistering exit interview, outgoing US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene has peeled back the curtain on the Republican Party, accusing colleagues of privately ridiculing President Donald Trump before scrambling to appease him once his political dominance was assured.

The revelations, set to air on CBS’s 60 Minutes, expose the fragile loyalty within the American ruling party. For observers in Nairobi, this internal discord signals continued volatility in Washington, where legislative gridlock often ripples out to affect global aid and trade policies.

Political Survival Over Principle

Greene, a Georgia Republican who is set to leave Congress in January, described a stark transformation within the GOP ranks. She alleged that lawmakers who once mocked the President’s speech patterns and mannerisms performed a rapid about-face following his 2024 primary victory.

“I watched many of my colleagues go from making fun of him, making fun of how he talks... to when he won the primary in 2024, they all started – excuse my language, Lesley – kissing his ass,” Greene told correspondent Lesley Stahl.

According to Greene, these politicians “decided to put on a MAGA hat for the first time” solely out of fear and opportunism, rather than genuine ideological alignment. This characterization paints a picture of a fractured party held together not by policy, but by the gravitational pull of Trump’s base.

The Epstein Files and a 'Traitor' Label

The interview also sheds light on the severe rupture between Greene and the President. Once one of Trump’s staunchest allies, Greene claims the relationship collapsed when she demanded transparency regarding files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019.

Greene stated that her insistence on releasing files pertaining to the prosecution of Epstein—specifically to support survivors who were abused as minors—led to Trump branding her a “traitor.”

The fallout, she alleges, has been dangerous. Greene detailed a disturbing shift in the harassment she faces:

• Initial Threats: Previously, death threats originated primarily from the political left.
• The Shift: After the Epstein dispute, threats began coming from the “right,” targeting both her and her son.
• Presidential Response: Greene claims she forwarded assassination threats against her son to Trump, only to receive “harsh accusatory replies and zero sympathy.”

As Greene prepares to vacate her seat, her parting shot serves as a grim warning: in the current corridors of American power, loyalty is often performed, not felt, and dissent—even from former loyalists—can carry a heavy personal price.