Trump didn’t back Greene when it mattered most

Let down by Trump

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, known for her staunch support of Donald Trump, found herself lacking reciprocal loyalty when it mattered most, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal.

Greene had long considered running for the Senate

Greene had been hinting for months that she was considering a run against Senator Jon Ossoff in 2026. It was a potential confrontation that worried many Republican senators if recent political reports on the issue were to be believed.

Republican senators were concerned

On May 5th, for example, Alexander Bolton of The Hill reported that Republican senators feared that Greene, an outspoken and controversial headline-maker, would mobilize large numbers of MAGA supporters but ultimately lead to a general election defeat.

Georgia needs the best candidate

“We need to have the absolute best candidate, and that includes electability. It’s very difficult to apply a formula for a very gerrymandered, very conservative congressional district into a statewide election with as much diversity as Georgia has,” Republican Senator Kevin Cramer said when asked if Greene would be a good candidate.

A swing state with independent thinking

“That is a swing state that’s pretty independent-minded,” Cramer added about Georgia. “If I was to put my political science hat on and look at all the criteria, she wouldn’t be high on my list of recruits,” Cramer has been a long-time critic of Greene.

The Republicans were right to be concerned

Republicans, however, had reason to worry. Greene performed extremely poorly in an Atlantic-Journal Constitution poll when she ran against Ossoff in a hypothetical election. Ossoff was projected to defeat Greene by a whopping 17 points.

Greene would lose significantly to Ossoff

Greene would receive only 37% of the vote, compared to Ossoff's 54%. Greene was also rated as the worst Republican candidate among the poll's possible options. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was the only candidate to defeat Ossoff, 49% to 46%.

Governor Kemp said he would not run

Unfortunately for Republicans, Governor Kemp announced on May 5th that he wouldn't run for the Senate in 2026, which left the door open for Greene’s hopes. However, on May 9th, to the surprise of many, Greene announced that she, too, would not run in 2026.

Greene also withdrew her candidacy

Greene posted a lengthy social media message explaining why she would not run, citing Senate politics as the reason for her decision. However, on May 16th, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was likely behind Greene's decision.

Trump or his team played a major role

Trump reportedly commissioned pollster Tony Fabrizio to investigate Greene’s chances of winning in Georgia and Fabrizio’s team found that Greene would lose against Ossoff in the Senate race by double-digits. The Wall Street Journal reported it was 18 points. 

Greene was not competitive in Georgia

The poll also apparently found that Greene was less competitive than Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who we now know will not run in 2026, and Georgia Small Business Administration Director Kelly Loffler.

Greene's thoughts on the situation

When asked for comment, Greene claimed that Fabrizio was working with someone against her due to a conflict of interest that prevented him and his team from working with her, and she criticized the advisers who had said she could not win the general election.

Attack on political advisors

"The same people who tell Trump I can't win the election are the same people who are getting filthy rich by advising as many campaigns as they can get the president to endorse," Greene said.

Did Trump speak to Greene?

Whether or not Greene spoke with President Trump about the race or was convinced by him to withdraw her name from contention is unclear, though the Wall Street Journal did claim that the poll findings were shared with Greene. 

What we know about the situation

Greene also explained to the Wall Street Journal the situation was based on a private conversation that was leaked. However, she did not say if her conversation was with President Trump or members of his team. She later denied she had spoken with Trump. 

“I have never spoken to President Trump”

“I have never spoken with President Trump about running for Senate or any other race,” Greene posted on X on May 15th. “But for some reason, some consultants and aids are leaking to the usual tools in the media in order to promote the narrative they want to tell about me.”

Support Donald Trump for free

“I have always supported President Trump for FREE and actually spent hundreds of thousands of dollars campaigning with him all across the country!!” Greene added. “You would think these people would be embracing me because I’ve fought the hardest for him, but the problem is they are not on my payroll.”