U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced she will step down from Congress in early January after a public dispute with President Donald Trump over the handling of Jeffrey Epstein–related documents. Her decision has surprised many constituents in Georgia’s 14th District, and a special election is expected to fill the vacancy.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent ally-turned-critic of President Donald Trump, has said she will leave Congress before the end of her term, citing a deepening rift with the president that intensified over the release of records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to NPR and other national outlets, Greene announced in a video message released late on a recent Friday that she plans to resign effective Jan. 5. KPBS, reporting on NPR’s coverage, notes that Greene framed the move as the culmination of months of clashes with Trump over his second-term agenda, including what she described as his reluctance to move swiftly on releasing the "Epstein files."
Greene has publicly pressed for the disclosure of information related to Epstein and his network. In her announcement, she argued that supporting transparency should not have led to a rupture with the president. "Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for," she said, according to NPR’s reporting on her statement.
Her decision to resign comes as Republicans hold only a narrow majority in the U.S. House. Recent Associated Press and NPR reports describe the chamber as tightly divided, with just a handful of seats separating Republicans from Democrats, meaning that any departure — including Greene’s — could heighten tensions over close votes. Greene’s northwest Georgia district, one of the most conservative in the country, has been considered safely Republican in recent election cycles.
In interviews with NPR journalists who traveled to her district, constituents described being taken aback by Greene’s announcement, though many also expressed understanding of her desire to avoid what she characterized as a bruising primary fight with Trump-backed challengers. Voters told reporters they had expected Greene, who built a national profile as a combative Trump defender, to remain in Congress despite her recent break with the president.
A special election will be held in 2026 to fill the remainder of Greene’s term after her resignation takes effect, according to reporting from WSB-TV and other Georgia outlets. Under Georgia law, the governor issues a writ of election to set the date for a special U.S. House race, typically giving local officials several weeks to prepare. Political strategists interviewed by WSB-TV said the contest is likely to fall within weeks of her departure and could move quickly, with a runoff possible if no candidate secures a majority.
Local party leaders in Paulding County, a Republican stronghold within Georgia’s 14th District, told NPR that they are bracing for a compressed campaign calendar. Ricky (Richard) Hess, chair of the Paulding County Republican Party, said the coming months will be fast-paced as potential candidates jump into the race and party officials work to keep voters informed, describing the period as hectic but manageable if the process unfolds smoothly.
Political observers say Greene’s exit will not necessarily make the district competitive for Democrats, given its strong Republican lean, but it does open a rare vacancy in a seat held by one of the GOP’s most high-profile figures. Strategists quoted by WSB-TV and the Associated Press suggested that whoever wins the special election will almost immediately have to pivot to campaigning for the next regular election, given the short window before the full House term on the ballot in November 2026.
Greene has not announced any immediate plans to seek higher office. Recent NPR and local television interviews have noted speculation about possible bids for governor, the U.S. Senate or another national role, but Greene has given no firm indication of her next political move, telling interviewers that she intends to take time to consider her future.
In her public comments, Greene has also vented broader frustration with what she has called a "political industrial complex" in Washington. She argued that both major parties too often prioritize internal power struggles and media narratives over what she sees as the concerns of working- and middle-class voters in her district, saying that this dynamic has contributed to her decision to step aside before her term is complete.
