Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation muddies notion of Trump’s staying power
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- U.S. Supreme Court could weigh in on birthright citizenship.
- Georgia lawmakers hear arguments for a gas tax alternative.
- Mike Collins faces a U.S. House ethics investigation.
Who won?
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had won. So why is she quitting?
That’s the question politicos will be chewing on over the next few weeks before the Rome Republican leaves Congress for good in January.
Her shocking decision to resign, announced Friday night, capped a tumultuous week in American politics. President Donald Trump did everything he could to prevent a vote on a bill forcing the government to release investigative documents about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — files that could hurt Trump both politically and personally. That included withdrawing his endorsement of Greene, one of four Republicans who insisted on the release of the documents.
Greene stood her ground and, with Republican allies, forced the most powerful person in the world to capitulate. The consensus from the chattering class was that Greene and others had cracked Trump’s previously impenetrable power, signaling what was sure to be a long and tortuous transition in MAGA world.
Instead, it only sharpened the ongoing splintering of the MAGA coalition. Earlier on Friday, Trump had another about-face when he appeared charmed and downright friendly to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
For Greene, that may have been the last straw. She watched Trump lavish praise on Mamdani, while simultaneously calling her — one of his staunchest defenders in Congress — a “traitor.”
Greene opted to leave Washington in a decision that significantly muddies the question of Trump’s power.
“Let me tell you what the opposite of a lame duck is: when you withdraw your endorsement of someone and it ends their career within days,” said Scott Jennings, a CNN political pundit and Republican political operative from Kentucky.
Time will tell who came out on top in this dramatic feud. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. Who do you think prevailed in this messy divorce? Send us an email with your thoughts.
Things to know
Good morning! Georgia’s legislative session starts in 49 days. We’re 176 days away from the primaries for governor, U.S. senator and other offices.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- State Election Board members fought over the decision to hire the spouse of the board’s former executive director as a paralegal, despite her having no prior legal experience, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- The Georgia Department of Education wants lawmakers to extend a ban on using cellphones in class to high schools, the AJC’s Cassidy Alexander reports.
- State officials have shuttered several programs for families and children in foster care, blaming the federal government shutdown and a rapidly increasing agency deficit, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
End of an era
Here’s what to know about U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s upcoming resignation on Jan. 5:
- What’s next? Greene again dismissed talk of a 2028 presidential run. But Georgia politicos are buzzing about another potential bid: a run for governor. While it seems unlikely, Greene has proven time and again she rarely follows the script her critics expect. Don’t rule out another statewide flirtation.
- Why she left. Greene is confident she would have beaten a candidate backed by President Donald Trump in a 2026 primary, and it’s hard to doubt her. Georgia Republicans in 2022 showed a flair for rejecting the president’s preferred candidates, even in a pair of open U.S. House races. And Greene steamrolled competition in all three of her elections.
- Hedging her bets. Greene is convinced Republicans will lose control of the U.S. House next year, putting her in the position of defending Trump against Democrat-led investigations — and possibly impeachment — while navigating a MAGA movement that she believes has already turned on her. Given that landscape, her choice seems less surprising.
- “Great news.” Trump celebrated Greene’s announcement with something of a victory lap, telling ABC News it was “great news” and deriding her on social media. Then he pivoted again, telling NBC News that he would “love to see” Greene return to politics at some point.
Buckle up
U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, pitched her departure as a mercy for her northwest Georgia district, sparing constituents a brutal primary driven by President Donald Trump. But her January exit is going to send the district into a tizzy.
Voters could have as many as five elections for the seat next year.
Gov. Brian Kemp will call a special election early next year to fill the remainder of her term, which could be followed by a runoff given the glut of candidates eyeing the seat. Then comes the May primary for the full 2026 term. Then another possible runoff. And finally the November general election.
So who’s running? There’s a long list of potential Republican contenders. Here’s a few who could be considering bids.
- Georgia Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, a Paulding County Republican and rising party figure.
- Dr. John Cowan, a neurosurgeon who lost to Greene in 2020.
- Clayton Fuller, the district attorney for a swath of counties in the district.
- Dalton City Councilmember Nicky Lama, who was first elected in 2023.
- Republican state Sen. Colton Moore, whose views are so extreme he was ousted from the Senate GOP caucus.
- Matt Sawhill, a utility executive and Rome native with deep roots in Georgia politics.
Separately, state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, has ruled out a bid.
Court watch
Thanksgiving week is typically a slow one in American politics, but the U.S. Supreme Court could blow that up.
The justices could announce this week whether they will consider President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship — a case that would upend the 2026 midterms.
Trump signed an executive order earlier this year declaring that children of parents who are in the country illegally are not American citizens. The order never took effect as lower courts blocked it. But the court’s conservative majority, including three justices Trump appointed, could revive the debate.
If the court agrees to take the case, arguments would likely be held in the spring with a decision issued by early summer, the Associated Press reports.
The court sidestepped another potentially explosive case last month when it declined to revisit its ruling that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. It also temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that Texas’ new congressional map benefiting Republicans is invalid.
Road tax future
Four states charge drivers of electric vehicles a tax based on their mileage. A Florida-based electric tolling company wants Georgia to join them.
Geotoll executives made their pitch to the House Transportation Committee last week. They knew their audience and deemphasized deep-blue states like Oregon that have done this in favor of Republican-led Utah.
“The entire nation is moving toward the road user charge. You can join today and be a pioneer or you can join in 20 years and work off whoever else did it,” said Tom Gustafson, a former Florida state lawmaker who is the company’s chief strategy officer. “We think Georgia is a good place like Utah — a conservative Republican state — to start testing out what works and what doesn’t without raising taxes.”
Lawmakers had a lot of questions, including what to do about out-of-state electric vehicle drivers who travel through Georgia. Gustafson said that problem can be addressed over time, “but only until we get a cluster of states willing to do it.”
“Then you can start trading information like you do with truck taxes,” he said. “It involves other technology and we’ve got to ease into it.”
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Jackson discusses Republicans’ stance on health care costs and his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Then we answer questions from the listener mailbag.
A special episode of the podcast also dropped over the weekend analyzing U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation announcement.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Mike Collins probe
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s announcement on Friday that she will resign next year overshadowed what was briefly biggest news in Georgia politics.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, the front-runner for Georgia’s 2026 Republican U.S. Senate nomination, and his chief of staff are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
We don’t know why. A short news release from the committee said it had received the complaint on Oct. 7 and it needed more time to investigate. Phillips and a spokesperson for Collins’ campaign did not provide details.
“This bogus referral is nothing but a desperate and baseless attack by Rep. Collins’ political opponents,” the spokesperson said.
The House Ethics Committee plans to announce its next steps no later than Jan. 5. A preliminary report containing details of the case could be posted at that time.
Today in Washington
Happenings:
- President Donald Trump signs executive orders.
- First lady Melania Trump will be on hand for the arrival of the official Christmas tree to the White House.
- The House and Senate are out all week for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Shoutouts
Belated birthdays:
- U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens (was Saturday).
- Doug Teper, lobbyist for Georgia Conservation Voters (was Saturday).
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a Republican from St. Simons Island and a U.S. Senate candidate, has asked the Trump administration to deploy more immigration enforcement officers to Atlanta.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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