Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation from Congress.

I'm Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, nonpartisan, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.”

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Reminder.

We won’t be sending our normal newsletter for the rest of the week as the team takes a short break to recharge and celebrate Thanksgiving. However, keep an eye out for an email from us tomorrow with a special episode of Suspension of the Rules, available as both a podcast and YouTube video. We hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you next week!

Quick hits.

1. A federal judge dismissed the charges against former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), finding that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney in Virginia who brought the cases, was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department said it will immediately appeal the decision. (The dismissals)
2. The Pentagon announced it is reviewing misconduct allegations against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former U.S. Navy captain, to determine whether to recall him to active duty “for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.” Kelly was one of six Democratic lawmakers who released a video last week calling on service members to “defy illegal orders” if they received them. (The review)
3. The Supreme Court opted not to immediately act on the challenges to President Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. However, the court may consider the cases at its private conference on Friday, December 5. (The latest)
4. President Trump spoke separately with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi amid escalating tensions between the two countries over a potential military conflict in Taiwan. Trump said he plans to visit China in April. (The calls)
5. The White House is reportedly circulating the draft of a plan to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are due to expire at the end of 2025, for two more years. The proposal would also cap eligibility for the credits at 700% of the federal poverty level and end zero-premium plans for lower income recipients. (The proposal)

Today’s topic.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation. On Friday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced that she will resign from Congress on January 5, 2026, citing the Republican Party’s handling of the government shutdown and her public falling out with President Donald Trump. Greene, who was elected to Congress in 2020 as a pro-Trump candidate, recently clashed with the president over foreign policy, healthcare, and the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

In her statement on Friday, Greene wrote, “I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms. And in turn, be expected to defend the President against impeachment after he hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me… I refuse to be a ‘battered wife’ hoping it all goes away and gets better.” 

Back up: After winning her election in 2020, Greene quickly gained notoriety for her vocal criticism of mask and vaccine mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic and for her associations with conspiracy movements like QAnon. She was removed from her committee assignments during her first term for prior conspiratorial remarks, but her national profile grew as she challenged Biden administration policies and backed President Trump’s reelection effort. 

However, Greene and Trump’s relationship has frayed in recent months, which Trump says began in May after he dissuaded her from running for Senate based on poor polling numbers (Greene disputes that claim). More recently, the Congresswoman broke from Republicans and the president by calling Israel’s war in Gaza a “genocide,” criticizing GOP leadership for not planning to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, and questioning the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. She was also one of four House Republicans to vote with Democrats to force a vote on the release of the Epstein files, a measure that eventually passed both chambers of Congress. 

On November 14, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was withdrawing his support for Greene, calling her “a ranting Lunatic” and encouraging Republicans to run a primary challenge against her. Greene responded that she was being attacked over her advocacy for Epstein’s victims but said, “I forgive [Trump] and I will pray for him to return to his original MAGA promises.”

Following Greene’s resignation announcement, Trump called her a “traitor” but added, “I will always appreciate Marjorie.” He further softened his tone on Saturday, telling NBC News that he would “love” to see her return to politics eventually. Separately, Greene rejected the notion that she was resigning from Congress to position herself for a presidential run in 2028, writing on X, “I’m not motivated by power and titles. The Political Industrial Complex has destroyed our country and will never allow someone like me or you to rise to power and actually solve the crises that plague all of us.”

Today, we’ll explore Greene’s resignation and her fallout with Trump, with views from the right and left. Then, Executive Editor Isaac Saul shares his take.

What the right is saying.

• The right is mixed on Greene’s departure, though many say Trump is right to disavow her.
• Some argue Greene was a good representative but resigning is the right choice.
• Others say the left is hypocritically embracing Greene now that it is politically convenient. 

In The Washington Examiner, Zachary Faria wrote “Trump is right, GOP should dump MTG.”

“Greene has spent the past few months attacking the GOP speaker of the House on liberal media platforms, trying to help congressional Democrats keep Obamacare afloat, and obsessing over Israel. In response to Trump calling her a traitor, Greene implied that Trump was a traitor serving Israel’s interests,” Faria said. “None of this is surprising. Greene has been a wacky conspiracy theorist her entire political career. Republicans should have nipped her career in the bud when she was first elected, despite pushing QAnon conspiracy theories and 9/11 trutherism. Greene claimed that the 2018 California wildfires were caused by space lasers controlled by Rothschild investment group businesses.”

“Greene contributes nothing of value to the Republican Party. Her fundraising can be replaced by any other GOP firebrand. She is not some legislative giant. She doesn’t move votes, as evidenced by the polls showing she would lose in embarrassing fashion if she ran for Senate against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff,” Faria wrote. “Before, she was an obnoxious provocateur whom Democrats tried to tie to normal Republicans as a political anchor. Now, she is no different than any other Democratic attack dog, attacking Trump and the GOP, protecting Obamacare, and ranting about Israel.”

In PJ Media, Stephen Kruiser said Greene is “keeping it weird until the end.”

“Some of [Greene’s] farewell messages seemed odd to me. There was a big ‘pity poor me’ vibe to it… She even likened herself to a ‘battered wife’ at one point. Greene has never shied away from melodrama,” Kruiser wrote. “This is a little bit reminiscent of Jeff Flake’s departure from the Senate several years ago. He saw the writing on the wall and bugged out very early because he knew he wasn’t going to survive the primaries. That was way back before Trump had any kingmaker juice at all.”

“I have rather enjoyed most of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s congressional career. She’s a firebrand who didn’t avoid confrontation, and she was fiercely loyal to Trump for a long time. These last few months have gotten out of control. If she had decided to remain in office and was able to win again, I fear that she would have continued to go the Never Trump route. That would have been more of a branding ploy than anything having to do with deep convictions,” Kruiser said. “It’s going to be quieter in the House of Representatives without MTG roaming around. The Trump-haters will be feasting on this news for a while. Expect a lot of MSM drivel about MAGA being shattered.”

In The Spectator, Douglas Murray asked if Greene will become an “anti-Trump resistance hero.”

“It is always interesting to see who the American left claims are the leaders of the American right. There was a time during President Trump’s first term when Steve Bannon fit the role… Around the same time there was a less savory figure called Richard Spencer. The self-professed white nationalist was portrayed as being close to the center of power on the right,” Murray said. “The latest person to enjoy a similar transmogrification is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Until recently you would have been hard-pushed to find a kind word said on the American left about the blonde MAGA Congresswoman.”

“Now she is suddenly acceptable. She is on all the left-wing talk shows. CNN has interviewed MTG (as she is sometimes known) sympathetically, and listened with sincerity as she has decried the use of ‘toxic’ rhetoric in politics. The fact that ‘toxic’ was practically MTG’s only brand until yesterday would ordinarily lead to an outburst of skepticism on the US left,” Murray wrote. “But MTG has become ‘acceptable’ because of one thing and one thing alone — which is that the American left sees that she might just have become useful in their war to bring down President Trump.”

What the left is saying.

• Many on the left suggest Trump won the power struggle with Greene, but say the saga provides a warning.
• Some say Greene exposed one of Trump’s key political weaknesses. 
• Others argue against mainstream acceptance of Greene.

In CNN, Stephen Collinson said “Greene’s exit shows Trump still rules the GOP, but it’s a warning he shouldn’t ignore.”

“Whether Greene’s future lies in a conservative media role or in a political campaign, she took positions on Social Security, health care, immigration, foreign policy and the national debt that sound very much like a manifesto for a back-to-basics shift for the MAGA movement when Trump has left the scene,” Collinson wrote. “Greene’s falling-out with Trump has created so much interest because it’s a fracture between two of MAGA’s top personalities, but also because it seems to hint at deeper rifts in the movement itself. And since she was once an enthusiastic player in the ‘toxic’ politics pioneered by Trump… Greene’s turn may hint at a wider fatigue for the drama and bile that Trump whips up every day.”

“It was never realistic that a lone member of Congress, even one as astute in cultivating publicity and controversy as Greene, would prevail in a political test of wills with a president — let alone one who transformed the GOP in his image,” Collinson said. “But Greene argues that the president has departed from the values that took him into office and that validate his appeal. That’s a threat to Trump’s authority at a difficult political moment and a time when the power of second-term presidents often starts to ebb.”

In The New Republic, Greg Sargent argued “Marjorie Taylor Greene just wrecked the cult of Trump.”

“Trump depicted [Greene] as a ‘traitor’ for supporting the discharge petition compelling a House vote on release of the files,” Sargent wrote. “What Trump understands better than anyone alive is that it’s the perception of his mastery over fellow Republicans that matters above all to the success of his project. Trump’s eruption at Greene was a last-ditch effort to warn other Republicans that if they dare join her, they’d face his wrath… What Trump feared most was the spectacle of Republicans not doing his express bidding.”

“What is surely most galling to Trump in the above video is Greene’s straightforward declaration that Trump was unable to control the course of events,” Sargent said. “Obviously, Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is still quite formidable. But that grip is plainly loosening on many fronts. Trump has failed to bully Indiana Republicans into joining his corrupt gerrymandering scheme. More than once a handful of GOP senators have joined Democrats to vote to undo some of his tariffs… What we’re now learning, above all, is that Trump appears to wield absolute mastery over the GOP until he doesn’t, and can no longer sustain that illusion.”

In MS NOW, Lyz Lenz wrote “you don’t have to forgive Marjorie Taylor Greene.”

“A politician apologizing is rarer than Halley’s comet. But that hasn’t been the only part of the Greene redemption tour. She has become a symbol of the break within the Republican party. She’s disagreed with the president’s policy on Israel, calling the war in Gaza ‘genocide.’ She criticized the tariffs and is attacking some of Trump’s more egregious ideas,” Lenz said. “But Greene is no great hero. She’s no martyr sacrificing her well-being for the country. And it’s time to take her down from the wooden cross she made for herself.

“Recall that Greene rose to prominence in 2019 by attacking the victims of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida… Greene screamed at former President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address. She spread antisemitic and Islamophobic conspiracies. She expressed support for executing Democratic members of Congress, including Nancy Pelosi. She pushed conspiracies about the 2020 election,” Lenz wrote. “Each post, each hateful rant, each violent word gleefully typed, shared and liked and raged against, is the foundation of Greene’s entire career. It’s the tsunami of sewage that swept her into Congress — and Trump into the White House.”

My take.

Reminder: “My take” is a section where I give myself space to share my own personal opinion. If you have feedback, criticism or compliments, don't unsubscribe. Write in by replying to this email, or leave a comment.

• The speed of Greene’s exit is stunning, especially considering where she was six months ago.
• Her resignation is another example of the intolerable modern political climate (which she contributed to).
• Now, whoever runs for Greene’s seat will have to demonstrate loyalty to Trump above all else.

Executive Editor Isaac Saul: Let’s turn back the clock six months to May. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene chairs the House Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee and is pushing to defund PBS and NPR. She’s using her perch at DOGE hearings to criticize trans women participating in women’s sports. She’s further amplifying herself on X, raising awareness about the Epstein files and demanding more transparency from the DOJ.

A couple hundred miles north, Zohran Mamdani is gaining traction in the Democratic primary for mayor in New York City; he’s running on free public transit, rent freezes, and taxing the wealthy. The Times of Israel has just published a story about him declaring himself an anti-Zionist. The punditry still considers him a longshot, but he’s picking up some major endorsements, including one from the progressive magazine The Nation.

Now, imagine if I told you that, six months from then, Greene would be resigning from Congress, called a traitor by Donald Trump, and doing TV hits on CNN and The View criticizing Republicans. Meanwhile, Mamdani would be the incoming mayor of New York City and be taking friendly meetings with Trump at the White House. I think, probably, you would have worried about my mental health. Yet here we are. 

The old adage stays true: “A week is a long time in politics.” A month is an eternity. And six months? Well, you truly can’t imagine how much can happen over a period of time like that.

The great and immediate irony of all this is that the actions precipitating Greene’s exit are, perhaps, the least offensive of her entire career. This is the same politician who “liked” a post calling for Nancy Pelosi to be shot in the head, suggested Pelosi deserves execution for treason, showed photos of a nude Hunter Biden during a congressional hearing, pushed stolen-election conspiracy theories, claimed Hurricane Helene was driven by a government-steered “weather modification” program to target Republican voters, and filed to impeach Joe Biden on the first full day of his presidency. 

Through all that, Republicans were happy to hold their noses and keep the seat. Now, Greene’s career-ending transgressions are sticking to a promise she made (demanding the Epstein files) and criticizing her party (for not addressing affordability). These crimes were apparently so great that she is now being forced out.

The speed of Greene’s departure after she began challenging party leadership, to me, screams of a broken political body. 2023 produced a record wave of retirements, driven in part by the rancor and recriminations members were experiencing throughout Congress. Earlier this year, Maine’s Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Jared Golden announced he would not seek reelection. He cited the “incivility and plain nastiness” of Americans and our political leaders, as well as threats against him and his family. Now, as Greene also heads for the exits, Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman is reporting that this may just be the beginning — that a wave of Republicans are about to leave behind her.

Greene confirmed that reporting on X, suggesting that Trump’s failure to legislate on issues she and the MAGA movement care about during the administration’s fertile first 6–9 months has caused Republicans to miss their window, allowing campaign season to creep in and slam the door on genuine reforms. 

All the while, Greene was a symbol of that deterioration of civility. At the same time as MTG’s star was on the rise in the right, moderates like Golden had already been fleeing Congress for a decade, citing death threats, partisan gridlock, and the thoroughly unenjoyable experience of doing the job. Members from separate parties can hardly conduct a hearing anymore without shouting matches breaking out. But now even committed partisans like Greene are jumping ship, apparently with company, for relatively minor breaches on the party line (Greene, after all, still voted 98% in line with the Trump administration). 

If I wanted to squint and seek some optimism, I could. In some respects, Greene’s story is an appealing version of how Congress works; someone gets elected, comes in to serve a few terms, and leaves. As unconventional and conspiratorial and controversial as Greene has been, she’s also — ironically — somewhat in the mold of the founders’ vision for a U.S. representative: an ordinary, apolitical person who goes to serve then returns to normal life rather than becoming a career politician.

But you have to squint. The larger truth is that, until a few months ago, Greene’s time in office was defined by obsessive loyalty to the president, social media brawls, and a general aggression toward anyone with a “D” next to their name. She’s now leaving because the president said he would primary her, an experience she knows will be hell, and she doesn’t want to stick around to be treated like a villain by the very movement she ran to represent.

That’s not to say I’m surprised by Trump un-endorsing her. Republicans have a tough midterm election coming up next year, and they can’t have defectors like Greene out in the media trashing the party and attacking its leader. She is a wildcard and a headache for the Trump-led GOP, and she isn’t particularly valuable as a legislator or fundraiser. In short: The political upside for Republicans (and Trump) of standing by her has run out. Even though the speed of the falling-out is a shock, that Trump and Republicans are rejecting her now isn’t that surprising.

In the immediate term, the question becomes: Who will replace her? And what does it mean for other Republicans in Congress watching all this unfold? Odds are good it’ll be another loyal foot soldier for the White House. It’s hard to imagine anyone running for and winning Greene’s seat in deep-red Georgia that doesn’t get the stamp of approval from the president. That means in a nation where most of our congressional seats are already gerrymandered into non-competitiveness, even the incoming members are facing a second test of party loyalty: They must maintain the approval of the president or face a challenge from the party itself. 

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Your questions, answered.

Yesterday, our editorial staff answered a question we occasionally get from readers: What are some charitable organizations that we support or donate to? Today, we’re sharing answers from more members of the Tangle team.

Associate Producer Aidan Gorman: The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is a nonprofit based in the United Kingdom, working worldwide on saving special natural locations, protecting birds, and advocating for laws to protect nature. By chance, I found one of their nature reserves online when I moved to the UK, decided to go there, and fell in love with the organization (and birding). It has saved species like the Red Kites, protected populations of Golden Eagles, and reintroduced beavers to the UK. Once a month I go out for bird photography, all because of a single nature reserve.

Customer Experience Specialist Candida Hall: Unity Housing. We often hear about the housing crisis happening in cities, but less so in rural areas. So, when we moved back to Appalachia last year, I immediately joined the Unity Housing team! Our mission is to provide medical respite for those who need medical assistance — but not necessarily a hospital bed — and who have nowhere else to go. We’re currently raising funds to open up our own campus with a reliable source of food, shelter, and transportation while people transition into permanent housing. In the meantime, we’ve partnered with Eastern Tennessee State University to put people who would otherwise be on the street in hotels with essential items and a game plan.

Executive Producer Jon Lall: FoCo Cafe. The ability to feel safe and have a hot meal is often taken for granted, and FoCo Cafe — the first nonprofit restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado — provides that. They offer a pay-what-you-can model that doesn’t turn anyone away, featuring a donation box instead of a cash register, and food that is both delicious and nourishing. The anonymity allows people of all financial backgrounds to gather together, enjoy a meal, and socialize with others from the community — free from judgment. It’s been a nice way for me to get to know others and help make a difference on a local level.

We encourage you to check out the work these organizations are doing, and if you’re interested in supporting their mission, donate!

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Under the radar.

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials said that the shooter who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in July 2024 acted alone. FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and another senior official said that the agency interviewed thousands of individuals as part of the investigation, calling it “one of the largest mobilizations of FBI resources in history.” Patel and Bongino also criticized former FBI Director Christopher Wray for testimony in 2024 that suggested he did not know whether President Trump was struck by a bullet during the assassination attempt, a comment that Patel said fueled conspiracy theories about the event. Fox News has the story.

Numbers.

• 57.1%.The percentage of the vote Marjorie Taylor Greene received in the primary runoff election for the Republican nomination for Georgia District 14 in 2020. 
• 9. The number of Republican candidates in the primary race. 
• 74.7%. The percentage of the vote Greene received in the general election for Georgia District 14 in 2020. 
• 64.4%. The percentage of the vote Greene received in her reelection victory in 2024. 
• 796,193. The population of Georgia District 14, according to Census Reporter. 
• 20% and 51%. The percentage of U.S. adults who say they have a favorable and unfavorable view of Greene, respectively, according to a November 2025 YouGov poll.
• 3. The number of committees that Rep. Greene sits on: the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

The extras.

• One year ago today we covered the trans bathroom controversy in Congress.
• The most clicked link in yesterday’s newsletter was Cambridge Dictionary choosing “parasocial” as its word of the year for 2025.
• Nothing to do with politics: 61 things to fight about this Thanksgiving.
• Yesterday’s survey: 2,656 readers responded to our survey asking about President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s meeting with 43% saying it provides an encouraging political sign. “I think Americans in general would like to see a lot more cooperation of this sort,” one respondent said. “Pure political theater starring the ruling elite,” said another.

Have a nice day.

Sports fans around the world are already excited for next summer’s World Cup, which will pit top national teams against each other in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The field will also feature some newcomers, including Curaçao, which recently became the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup. Curaçao is an autonomous territory in the Caribbean within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a population of just over 156,000. The squad stamped its ticket with a 0–0 draw in Jamaica on November 18 that secured a top finish in a four-team group of the qualifying round. The Associated Press has the story.