- Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly attacked Speaker Mike Johnson for alleged hypocrisy over his response to a restraining order against Rep. Cory Mills.
- Her rebellion highlights deep GOP fractures amid a 17-day government shutdown and disputes over ACA subsidies and leadership strategy.
- Greene’s actions—ranging from Epstein file pushes to committee confrontations—could further splinter or reshape the MAGA wing’s influence.
WASHINGTON—In the latest flare-up of what some are calling a full-blown MAGA civil war, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has unleashed a blistering attack on House Speaker Mike Johnson, accusing him of hypocrisy over his handling of allegations against a fellow Republican lawmaker.
The confrontation, which unfolded amid a grinding government shutdown now stretching into its third week, underscores the growing fractures within the Republican Party’s hard-right wing, where loyalty to President Donald Trump clashes with frustrations over leadership’s perceived moderation.
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Greene’s ire was sparked by Johnson’s reluctance to weigh in on a restraining order issued against Rep. Cory Mills, a Florida Republican and rising MAGA star, who faces accusations from his ex-girlfriend of threatening to release sexually explicit videos and warning that he would target her future partners.
A Florida judge granted the protective order last week, barring Mills from contacting Lindsey Langston— the reigning Miss United States—or approaching within 500 feet of her home or workplace.
Mills has vehemently denied the claims, calling them “baseless” in a statement to reporters.
Speaking to Axios on Thursday, Greene didn’t hold back, stating, “They expelled George Santos, Mike Johnson did. He was Speaker and oversaw George Santos being expelled. Why isn’t he doing anything about Cory Mills?” she said, referencing the 2023 expulsion of the New York Republican amid ethics scandals and fraud charges.
Santos, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was later sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
“There’s clearly proof behind her accusations if a judge is issuing a restraining order,” Greene continued. “So I would say to Speaker Johnson, this is a serious matter, and it needs to be taken seriously.”
Johnson, caught off guard during a Friday press conference, brushed aside the criticism with visible exasperation, stating, “I try not to react to what Marjorie Taylor Greene says every day,” he told reporters, adding a pointed correction: “Somebody told me she accused me of ousting Santos, which, of course, is the exact opposite of the history.”
The speaker had actually opposed Santos’ expulsion at the time, arguing it was premature without a conviction—a stance that now leaves him vulnerable to charges of inconsistency from within his own ranks.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Puts GOP in “Hot Seat”
This isn’t the first time Greene has turned her fire on Johnson, the Louisiana conservative who narrowly survived a motion to vacate his speakership last year, thanks in part to Democratic votes.
Their feud dates back to May 2024, when Greene filed the resolution to oust him over his support for Ukraine aid and bipartisan spending deals, only to withdraw it after intervention from Trump himself.
“I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Trump said at the time from Mar-a-Lago, but he urged restraint: “He’s doing about as good as you’re going to do. And I’m sure that Marjorie understands that.”
But understanding appears in short supply these days. Greene’s broadside against Johnson comes as the government shutdown—triggered on October 1 over stalled budget negotiations—enters day 17, with federal workers furloughed and services strained.
Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers of Congress and the White House, yet Greene argues the party is squandering its mandate.
In a recent Washington Post interview, she lamented the lack of a coherent strategy, blasting GOP leaders for failing to address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that could double premiums for millions.
“Republicans have no plan,” she told the Post. “Mike Johnson has not had a single conference meeting about any sort of plan to deal with the ACA tax credits expiring.”
Her frustration boiled over in a series of pointed social media posts last week. “I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” Greene wrote on X.
“Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING.”
She even floated the idea of scrapping the Senate filibuster to force through Trump-aligned priorities, a notion she texted directly to Johnson, who responded by downplaying their differences as a “good discussion” between “colleagues and friends.”
Republicans Show Support for Obamacare Subsidies Extensions
The shutdown has amplified these tensions, with Democrats gleefully amplifying Greene’s critiques to highlight GOP disarray.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the floor Tuesday, quipping, “Hold on to your hats… I think this is the first time I’ve said this: Rep. Greene said it perfectly. Rep. Greene is absolutely right.”
A KFF poll last week found 78% of Americans, including 57% of MAGA-aligned Republicans, support extending the Obamacare subsidies—putting Greene’s populist stance in line with public sentiment, even if it irks party orthodoxy.
Greene’s rebellion extends beyond Johnson and the budget fight.
She’s teamed up with Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, another serial GOP dissenter, on a discharge petition to force the Justice Department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier accused of sex trafficking.
A Bipartisan Fight for The Epstein Files and Shutdown Resolution
In her Axios interview, Greene revealed that most Republican colleagues shy away from the push, fearing backlash from Trump or “iced out by leadership.”
She plans to read a list of alleged abusers from Epstein’s victims on the House floor soon, saying, “These are people that, if they get exposed, they’ve got a lot to lose. And when people are in that position, that makes you concerned.”
This Epstein crusade marks a subtle break from Trump, who has opposed full disclosure, prompting the president to privately ask senior Republicans, “What’s going on with Marjorie?” according to NBC News.
It’s part of a pattern: Greene has bucked the party line on Israel funding, AI regulations, and even ICE raids central to Trump’s immigration agenda.
In a CNN appearance last week, she blamed Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for the shutdown, insisting, “We control the House, we control the Senate, we have the White House. This doesn’t have to be a shutdown.”
Critics within the GOP see Greene’s antics as self-serving chaos. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who joined the 2023 revolt against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, told reporters last week that Johnson’s leadership is under scrutiny but warned against another speaker fight.
“The Republican civil war is theirs to fix,” echoed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries after McCarthy’s ouster—a line that feels eerily prescient now.
Johnson, for his part, has tried to project unity, inviting Greene to join committees handling health care and shutdown talks.
“Congresswoman Greene does not serve on the committees of jurisdiction to deal with those specialized issues, and she’s probably not read in on some of that,” he said Tuesday, framing her outbursts as uninformed passion.
But in a Post interview, Greene fired back at the party’s male-dominated leadership, declaring, “There’s a lot of weak Republican men and they’re more afraid of strong Republican women.”
What’s Next for America?
As the shutdown deadline looms without resolution, these personal and policy clashes threaten to paralyze the House just as Trump pushes for aggressive executive actions on everything from border security to tariffs.
Greene, once a fierce Trump surrogate, now positions herself as the unfiltered voice of the base, telling Slate, “I didn’t run for Congress as an establishment Republican… I didn’t come up through the ranks.”
Whether her insurgency strengthens MAGA or splinters it further remains an open question—one that could define the GOP’s fragile hold on power.
For now, Americans are left watching a battle of both partisan and bipartisan conflicts without relief.
Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown
