Trump withdrew his endorsement and labelled Greene a ‘traitor’.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has made explosive allegations, claiming that a foreign government may be pressuring US President Donald Trump to keep Jeffrey Epstein’s files hidden and questioning Israel’s possible involvement with the late sex offender.
Greene was speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash in her first interview since Trump withdrew his endorsement of her and attacked her online as a “traitor.”
Israel
“I think the question that many Americans are asking” is whether Epstein was working for Israel, Greene told CNN, citing emails released by the House Oversight Committee showing his ties to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
“We saw him making business deals with them, also business deals that involved the Israeli government and seems to have led into their intel agencies. I think the right question to ask is, was Jeffrey Epstein working for Israel? I am proud to say I don’t take money from AIPAC, I don’t take money from any special group of people,” Taylor Greene said.
ALSO READ: Donald Trump’s alleged birthday note to Epstein released by House panel
Fallout
Talor Greene, a longtime loyalist, has criticised Trump and her party’s leadership in recent weeks after she pushed for the Department of Justice to release all files it has on Epstein.
The tension escalated on Friday when Trump condemned Greene on Truth Social, calling her a “traitor”, “wacky”, and a “ranting Lunatic”.
Trump wrote: “All she does is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN.”
Safety
In a post on X, Taylor Greene said Trump’s attacks on her are not just perpetuating toxic infighting in politics, but also putting her safety at risk.
“Aggressive rhetoric attacking me has historically led to death threats and multiple convictions of men who were radicalised by the same type [of] rhetoric being directed at me right now,” Greene, a House of Representatives member from Georgia, posted on X.
“This time by the President of the United States.”
Epstein files
On Wednesday, Greene was one of only four House Republicans who joined Democrats in signing a petition to force a vote on releasing the full Justice Department files related to Epstein, as the scandal once again ensnares Trump.
The US president has called the furore over Epstein a “hoax” pushed by the Democrats, according to Al Jazeera.
The House is expected to hold a vote this week on legislation that would force the Justice Department to release the files to the public.
NOW READ: US prison guards charged over Epstein death
