President Donald Trump took questions from reporters aboard Air Force One Monday evening, addressing the upcoming special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and delivering a sharp swipe at the onetime ally.
When asked whether he planned to endorse a candidate in the race to fill Greene’s seat, Trump signaled that no decision has yet been made — but made clear there is no shortage of hopefuls.
“We have a lot of people who want to take Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene’s place. Many, many candidates and I have to choose one,” Trump said.
The remark comes just a day after Greene publicly described what she says were the personal consequences of her high-profile split with the president. Speaking with fitness guru turned podcaster Jillian Michaels, Greene said she received more than 700 death threats after Trump labeled her a “traitor” during a dispute over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Greene announced her retirement from Congress late last year, saying her rift with Trump ultimately drove her from politics.
In the interview, Greene recounted the first time Trump called her a “traitor,” which she said occurred after she refused to back down from signing a discharge petition aimed at releasing the Epstein files.
“And so I refused to do it. And then, next thing you know, here comes out a late-night Truth Social on a Friday night that called me a ‘traitor,’” Greene said. She noted that under U.S. law, traitors can face imprisonment or even death, and said the label struck her deeply.
Greene argued that Trump meant she was a traitor to him personally, not to the country or the American people. Still, she said the accusation carried weight and consequences.
She further claimed Trump threatened to back a primary challenger against her, referencing what she described as a massive campaign apparatus and a super PAC with billions of dollars behind it. Greene compared her situation to that of Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has also faced political pressure after supporting the Epstein file release effort.
According to Greene, the threats escalated soon after the public dispute. She detailed what she described as a pipe bomb threat at her home, another at her family’s construction business, and direct threats against her youngest child, her son.
Greene said her office reported nearly 773 official death threats, noting that only those meeting specific criteria are forwarded to Capitol Police. She said the threats referencing her son were directly tied to Trump’s use of the word “traitor.”
Greene said she texted the death threat involving her son to Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Kash Patel, Susie Wiles and James Blair. She praised Vance for responding compassionately and said Patel told her he was addressing the situation. However, she said she did not hear back from Wiles or Blair.
As for Trump’s response, Greene claimed it was “very nasty” and that he blamed her for the threats, telling her it was “totally my fault.” She characterized his message as lacking compassion and said he suggested that if harm came to her son, she would be responsible.
The feud marks a dramatic turn in what was once a close political alliance. Now, with Greene out of Congress and a special election looming, Trump appears poised to shape the future of her seat — even as the bitter fallout between the two continues to reverberate.
