U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Rome Republican representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, announced Friday evening that she will resign from Congress. In an unexpected video message posted to social media, Greene said her final day in office will be January 5, 2026.
Greene was first elected in 2020 and quickly became one of the most recognizable — and polarizing — figures in national politics. Once a fierce ally of former President Donald Trump, she rose to national prominence as one of the leading voices of the MAGA movement. But her resignation comes after a very public split with Trump, from whom she has recently drawn sharp criticism.
“I refuse to be a battered wife”
In her nearly 15-minute video address, Greene said she has become disillusioned with the political system and the Republican Party’s leadership. She predicted that staying in Congress would lead to a Trump-funded primary challenge, which she said she would defeat — only for Republicans to lose seats nationally in the midterms.
“It’s all so absurd and completely unserious,” she said. “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.”
Greene described her conflict with Trump as emblematic of what she sees as the broader abandonment of “common Americans” by elite political forces.
“If I’m cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine and replaced by neocons, big pharma, big tech, military industrial war complex, foreign leaders and the elite donor class… then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.”
She went on to say that no elected official — including herself — could single-handedly stop what she called “Washington’s machine,” insisting that real power rests with voters, not politicians.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Georgia’s governor will be required to call a special election to fill the upcoming vacancy.
Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon called Greene’s resignation a “surprise” and thanked her for her “fierce and unwavering service,” saying she “never backed down from defending the forgotten men and women of our state.”
McKoon said the party will work to elect another “strong conservative” to the deep-red 14th District, where Greene won reelection in 2024 with more than 64% of the vote.