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By Andrew Stanton
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Marjorie Taylor Greene—once the target of frequent attacks from the left—has earned praise from prominent Democrats in recent days as she bucks her party on some key issues.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday on MSNBC’s Katy Tur Reports that he has not met with Greene, but said she has had a “surprisingly enlightened few weeks in terms of her perspective" on the Epstein Files and the ACA subsidies.
In the same move, however, she's upset members of her own party.
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“How much do you want to bet @mtgreenee is going to try to run for President in 2028 as a Democrat?" wrote far-right activist Laura Loomer. Greene denies turning on her own party, and instead points back to her campaign history on the subjects.
Newsweek reached out to Greene’s office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Greene, a Georgia Republican who has aligned herself with President Donald Trump in the past and has garnered headlines for her staunchly conservative viewpoints, has been among the most vocal critics of her fellow Republicans in recent weeks. She has broken from her party on matters like health care and the release of files related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking.
Her positioning has earned praise from some Democrats but also reflects a rift among the Republican Party, as some conservatives have expressed frustration with the administration’s handling of certain issues, specifically including the Epstein files.
What To Know
Greene has long called for the release of the Epstein files and is one of a handful of Republicans who have signed onto a petition to force the release of those files. While others in her party have previously called for their release, most haven’t signed onto the petition led by Representatives Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat.
She has also joined Democrats in questioning whether GOP leaders in the House have delayed swearing in Representative Elect Adelita Grijalva—an Arizona Democrat who last month won a special election to succeed her father, Raul Grijalva, who passed away earlier this year—to avoid reaching 218 signatures on the discharge petition. Greene told CNN that she “can't conclusively say if that's why the House isn't in session, but the House should be in session.”
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“The House should be in session for many reasons. We have appropriations bills that need to get passed. There is a new Democrat that has been elected that does deserve to be sworn in. Her district elected her. We have other bills we need to be passing. If it’s to avoid the discharge petition, why drag this out? That is going to have 218 signatures, so I say go ahead and do it and get it over with,” Greene said.
She has also broken from her party on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, saying that while she is “not a fan” of the bill, known colloquially as Obamacare, she is concerned that insurance premiums would double if tax credits expire at the end of this year. Immigration and support for Israel are other issues with which she has parted from her party.
“I’m carving my own lane. And I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” Greene wrote to X.
Some Democrats have praised these recent remarks by Greene.
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, told Newsweek he is appreciative of Greene's recent comments.
"I appreciate what Marjorie Taylor Greene is saying about health, home and auto insurance being unaffordable for most Americans and for calling out efforts to prevent any state from passing legislation to protect workers or kids from AI. I look forward to working with anyone in Congress to do something bipartisan on bringing down costs or AI," he said.
Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, told CNN on October 9 that her messaging is stronger than some Democrats.
“Well, she's not doing better than me, but she's definitely doing better than a lot of Democrats,” he said.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, voiced agreement with Greene’s comments on the ACA credits in a post to X on October 9.
“Millions of moms just like @RepMTG are worried about how their families are going to afford health care if the ACA enhanced premium tax credits expire. We can take action now to extend these credits. Let's work together to get this done and prevent costs from soaring,” Shaheen wrote.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday on MSNBC’s Katy Tur Reports that he has not met with Greene, but said she has had a “surprisingly enlightened few weeks in terms of her perspective on both the Epstein files.”
Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that Democrats’ praise of Greene is representative of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” logic.
“It seems more like straightforward political opportunism, and once again the issue of Trump, pro and con, is driving the bus,” he said. “Given all that MTG has said over the years, it seems very strange that any Democrat would align themselves with her, on anything. But these are strange political times.”
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, told Newsweek that Greene recognizes that the Epstein scandal “is not going away,” while other Republicans would “prefer not to recognize” that.
“Her recent remarks may hurt her in a future Republican primary, as President Trump can be brutal to dissidents in his party. But her emphasis on greater transparency may also help her carve out an identity as more principled on the Epstein files than many of her Republican colleagues, who may someday regret being too supportive of Trump on this matter,” he said.
Joshua Kennedy, a professor of political science at Georgia Southern University, told Newsweek the praise is not “particularly surprising.
“’Politics makes strange bedfellows,’ as the saying goes, and in this particularly hyperpartisan, hyperpolarized era, both parties are happy to take whatever allies they can muster from the ‘other side’ in support of their positions,” he said.
Both parties have “sizable populist wings right now,” so it’s unsurprising that they could find some common ground, according to Kennedy.
“While populism can be left-wing or right-wing, they are at least in agreement that government, and sometimes society more broadly, is corrupt and ‘rigged’ to benefit the elites. They sometimes disagree on who those elites are, but they are united in other ways,” he said.
Greene’s positioning on these issues may help her pave a path as more independent, and could help her call attention to issues she believes are most important, he said. However, she does run the risk of alienating party leaders.
Greene has denied that she is turning on Republicans and Trump.
“I want Republicans to actually govern the way they campaign and solve problems plaguing the American people,” she wrote in an October 8 post to X.
Greene was first elected to Congress in 2020, representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, a mostly rural electorate located in the state’s northwestern area. She drew attention for her previous support of some conspiracy theories, which she has since denounced. She has become a close ally to Trump in Congress and remains a vocal supporter of many of his policies, even as she has broken with her party on others.
Democrats’ recent praise for Greene contrasts with years of criticism, as well as previous efforts to remove her from committees after she was first elected over her past support for conspiracy theories.
On the other hand, some conservatives have become more critical of Greene.
“How much do you want to bet @mtgreenee is going to try to run for President in 2028 as a Democrat? She wants to undermine MAGA because Trump refused to endorse her Senate and Gubernatorial runs in Georgia. That’s why all of a sudden she’s shilling for Islamists, calling for less deportations and attacking Trump. I really think she will try to rebrand as a Democrat,” wrote Laura Loomer, a conservative activist, to X on Oct. 12.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told Fox News Sunday that he had a "thoughtful conversation" with Greene over ACA subsidies. He said many Republicans on relevant committees have been dealing with that, but that Greene does not serve on those committees. He said he offered to allow her to join those discussions.
What People Are Saying
Professor Grant Davis Reeher told Newsweek: “I don’t think it hurts her really, given her brand. She’d have to be primaried from a Trump supporter, from the right. Would Trump want to risk alienating that wing of his support by endorsing her challenger? Likely not. So in terms of her personal political future, I don’t think this decision really will hurt her. If she becomes some sort of strange version of a Liz Cheney, then there would be serious repercussions, but I don’t see her in that role.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene told NBC News last week: “I’m not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don’t think anyone should be.”
Tim Miller, a former GOP strategist who has since turned away from the party in the Trump era, on MSNBC: “I’ve got no notes for her. Everything she says seems pretty spot on.”
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis wrote on X: “Strange times when I’m sharing something from MTG in a positive light...”
Journalist Ahmed Baba wrote on X: “Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of the only Republicans who sees where this is headed. Trump is weak. He’s tanking the economy and raising prices. He’s underwater on all key issues. The GOP is likely headed toward a midterm loss. MTG is positioning herself for a post-Trump GOP.”
What Happens Next
Greene will continue to be watched as a key voice of the conservative right in Congress over the coming years on key issues, including efforts to end the ongoing government shutdown.
Update 10/15/25, 5:27 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Joshua Kennedy.
Update 10/17/25, 2:47 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Representative Ro Khanna.
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