'Ranting lunatic': Why Trump just put a target on former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene's back

US President Donald Trump has branded former political ally Marjorie Taylor Greene a "ranting lunatic" after a messy political split over the so-called Epstein files.

Now the far-right firebrand has claimed the president's comments have endangered her life.

"The most hurtful thing (Trump) said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor, and that is so extremely wrong," Greene told CNN's Dana Bash on State of the Union.

"And those are the types of words used that can radicalise people against me and put my life in danger."

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What happened between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump?

Republican congresswoman Greene was once among Trump's most vocal allies.

But her tune has changed in recent months, largely due to the Trump administration's handling of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Just last week, Democrats on the US House Oversight Committee leaked three emails from Epstein that mentioned Trump by name.

The emails suggested he "knew about the girls", and that Esptein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was allegedly recruiting from Mar-a-Lago.

Trump has repeatedly and emphatically described calls for transparency around his ties to Epstein as a "hoax."

But Greene has repeatedly called for the release of the Epstein files, driving a major wedge between her and the president.

She has also criticised Trump's domestic agenda, questioning his administration's economic policies.

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In response, Trump officially withdrew his endorsement of Greene on Friday (US time) in a Truth Social post, where he claimed she'd "gone far left".

"She has told many people that she is upset that I don't return her phone calls anymore, but with 219 Congressmen/women, 53 U.S. Senators, 24 Cabinet Members, almost 200 Countries, and an otherwise normal life to lead, I can't take a ranting Lunatic's call every day," he claimed.

In another post, Trump called her a "traitor" to the Republican Party.

Greene responded with a social media post of her own on Friday, writing on X that Trump is trying "to make an example" of her.

She alleged that the president wants to "scare all the other Republicans before next week's vote to release the Epstein files" and that his comments sparked threats against her.

"I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world," Greene added in another X post on Saturday.

"The man I supported and helped get elected."

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Losing Trump's public support appears to have inspired a shift in Greene's political approach.

Today she announced that she will stop using "toxic" rhetoric, marking a major change for the Republican firebrand.

"I would like to say, humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics; it's very bad for our country," Greene said.

"It's been something I've thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated."

Marjorie Taylor Greene's many controversies

A staunch conservative, Greene made a name for herself in US politics by spreading conspiracy theories and lobbing personal insults against other members of congress.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she compared then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to continue to require House lawmakers to wear masks on the chamber floor to steps the Nazis took to control the Jewish population during the Holocaust.

Greene issued a rare apology after that incident.

In 2023, she called fellow Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado "a little b*tch" during an argument on the House floor.

She also told a British journalist to "go back to your country" earlier this year, after the reporter asked about the Signal chat controversy involving Trump administration officials.

But now she plans to turn over a new leaf and "put down the knives in politics".

Greene said America needs to find "a new path forward," and calling on people "to come together and end all the toxic, dangerous rhetoric and divide."

"I'm leading the way with my own example, and I hope that President Trump can do the same."

- Reported with CNN.

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