Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) “hates” President Donald Trump and laughs at him a lot behind closed doors. She said this during Wednesday’s episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, where she talked about the problems inside the Republican Party and how money from donors influences its members.
Greene accused Lawler of being “bought and paid for” by the powerful donor group, which she believes caused him to turn against the MAGA movement, according to Mediaite.
She said Lawler was heavily backed by the Jewish community and Christian Zionists during his campaign. After that, he quickly became a big part of the House of Representatives, all under the control of the donor class.
The former congresswoman said Lawler’s attitude towards Trump changed a lot after his second win in 2024, when he suddenly became one of Trump’s biggest supporters.
Greene jokingly called him “MAGA Mike Lawler,” pointing out the big difference between how he used to act and now. She suggested that his public support for Trump wasn’t real and was just for political reasons.
Greene’s accusations show that there are bigger problems forming within Trump’s support base.
This comes after other high-profile disagreements from the MAGA movement, including former Trump supporter Tucker Carlson, who has also spoken out against the president, especially about the war in Iran and the direction of the US government.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Carlson expressed his disappointment with Trump’s actions, saying he “hates this war” and that he had been “misleading” his audience into voting for Trump in 2024.
These tensions in the MAGA movement are partly because Trump hasn’t kept his campaign promises, especially his pledge to put “America first.”
Trump’s decision to support the war in Iran and his handling of the economy have upset a lot of his core supporters, who are now questioning his leadership.
Some leading MAGA figures have even asked Trump to fight in the war himself. While Trump still has strong support from his base, more dissatisfaction is likely if the conflict in Iran continues and the economy gets worse.
The fact that both Carlson and Greene have broken with Trump shows that there’s growing discontent among his supporters.
These early signs of dissatisfaction among Trump’s elite supporters are becoming more apparent, and it’s unclear if this will become something more organized by the 2028 presidential election.
Trump recently responded directly to these critics, explaining what MAGA means to him and dismissing those who disagree with his decisions.
His response suggests he believes the MAGA movement should follow his lead, no matter what his supporters think. This has only added to the growing frustration among some members of his base.
Recent polls show that support for Trump among Republican voters is dropping.
Only 38% of Republican voters now say they “strongly” approve of his presidency, down from 51% a year ago, according to The Conversation. However, the same polls also show that 90% of “MAGA Republicans” still approve of Trump’s overall job performance, meaning his core base remains mostly loyal. This suggests that while some cracks are visible, Trump still has a strong core following.
The relationship between Trump and his base is getting more complicated.
While Trump has a loyal following, the cracks are beginning to show, and it’s unclear if he can repair his relationship with his core supporters. The implications of these developments are big, as they show that the MAGA movement is no longer tied to just one person.
The fact that Carlson has talked about running for president in 2028, and that Greene has publicly supported him, shows there’s a growing desire to redefine the movement.
These developments suggest a possible shift in how the MAGA movement sees itself and its future. As the MAGA movement continues to change, it’s clear that the internal struggles within the Republican Party will only get worse, especially as the 2028 presidential election approaches.
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