Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was as soon as President Donald Trump’s loyal ally, however in a brand new CNN interview, she broke rank with Trump and apologized for her personal “poisonous” actions, taking a softened, contrite tone that may be a hanging distinction from her firebrand politics.
Amid Greene and Trump’s rising rift forward of key 2026 midterm elections, Trump has withdrawn his assist for Greene, calling her “wacky,” a “ranting Lunatic” and a “traitor” to the occasion in latest social media posts.
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In the course of the interview on CNN’s “State of The Union” with Dana Bash on Sunday, Greene stated Trump calling her a traitor “is so extraordinarily improper.”
“These had been the kinds of phrases used that may radicalize folks towards me and put my life at risk,” Greene stated.
CNN’s Bash identified that Greene has not defended different individuals who have confronted “assaults or criticism” from Trump. “I haven’t heard you converse up about it till it was directed at you,” Bash stated.
“Dana, I feel that’s honest criticism,” Greene replies. “And I wish to say humbly, I’m sorry for collaborating within the poisonous politics. It’s very unhealthy for our nation. It’s been one thing I’ve thought of quite a bit, particularly since Charlie Kirk was assassinated.“
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Later, Bash brings up two particular examples of the far-right Republican’s previous incendiary rhetoric towards her fellow politicians.
In 2020, Greene posted a picture of herself holding a gun alongside pictures of progressive Democratic congresswomen –– Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib –– and inspired occurring the “offense towards these socialists.” The picture bought taken down by Fb for violating its insurance policies.
In 2021, Greene appreciated social media posts that advised executing then-Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and FBI brokers, amongst others, based on a number of media reviews. (In response to these 2021 reviews, Greene stated in an announcement: “Over time, I’ve had groups of individuals handle my pages. Many posts have been appreciated. Many posts have been shared. Some didn’t signify my views.”)
“I addressed that again in 2021. I by no means wish to trigger any hurt, or something unhealthy to anybody,” Greene stated in response to Bash’s examples. “And I very a lot stand by my phrases I stated then, and I stand by my phrases at the moment. I feel America wants to return collectively and finish all that poisonous, harmful rhetoric and divide. And I’m main the way in which with my very own instance. ”
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In an apology, the supply and the tone can reveal simply as a lot, if no more, than the phrases. And physique language specialists stated they’re noticing a mismatch between what Greene is saying and the way she stated it.
Greene’s physique language is completely different from how real apologies usually go, specialists say.
Greene’s apology on CNN was fairly telling, however not for the explanations you would possibly count on. Illustration: HuffPost; Photographs: Getty
Greene has made viral insults up to now towards different politicians, however on this interview, Greene is toned down in quantity and in her rhetoric, specialists famous.
“That extremely flat have an effect on we noticed within the CNN interview is simply so weird, particularly in comparison with her traditional animated and bombastic have an effect on in different interviews,” stated Denise Dudley, a medical psychologist and behavioral skilled.
“She was positively struggling to rein it in.”
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For physique language specialists, essentially the most noticeable change is when Greene truly says, “Humbly, I’m sorry for collaborating within the poisonous politics.”
On this sentence, Dudley stated Greene has pauses, closes her eyes, and seems to grimace in between the phrase “poisonous” and “politics,” “like she’s choking it down.”
“I feel it’s not a honest sentiment,” Dudley stated.
Basically, “After we see somebody being stiff and wood, and saying issues in very measured type, the place we’re pausing quite a bit, saying, ‘um’ quite a bit…it’s typically when somebody is struggling to place forth an opinion or an perspective or an emotion that they don’t actually embrace,” Dudley stated, noting that the general interview signifies “that is simply somebody beneath nice pressure to current a complete completely different approach of being, and that it’s not a pure factor.”
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In the meantime, one other physique language skilled stated to note how Greene’s mouth strikes.
“When we have now real unhappiness…the lip nook depresses. [Our lips] pull down, and that’s a extremely laborious factor to pretend. That’s how typically you’ll be able to see genuine unhappiness,” stated behavioral scientist Abbie Maroño. “And when she says, ‘Humbly, I’m sorry,’ that’s the place you’d count on that type of expression, however there’s no change. So it’s what we’re not seeing that’s the concern.”
“It’s one thing that she must be feeling as she speaks it. And there’s no proof of that,” Maroño continued.
The physique language specialists famous that Greene’s minimal motion of her physique and arms can be notable throughout her apology. When somebody is assured and comfy with their phrases, “There may be extra of a managed nature, however it nonetheless flows, Maroño stated. “There was such an absence of motion, it felt contained, it didn’t really feel comfy.”
Past the tone, Dudley identified that the language of the apology could possibly be stronger as nicely. When Greene says sorry for “collaborating” in poisonous politics, “she’s assigned herself the protection of a gaggle, like we’re all doing this, quite than private accountability.”
A stronger apology that takes possession for previous actions would instantly say, “I’d wish to humbly apologize for the half I performed,” Dudley stated, and would tackle particular allegations she has made that had been poisonous.
And but, her apology did land with some folks. A number of viewers had been giving Greene props for her interview on-line, whatever the supply.
“MTG making sense in 2025 was not on anybody’s bingo playing cards. Wow!” states one high YouTube remark in response to CNN’s video of the interview.
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