In a surprising twist, former President Donald Trump has severed ties with one of his most fervent supporters, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. With a dismissive jab, he branded her as “Wacky Marjorie” and declared his willingness to back a challenger against her in the upcoming midterm elections, should a suitable candidate arise.

This public fallout marks a significant departure from their previously close alliance. Greene, once a quintessential figure in the MAGA movement, has been a visible supporter, even donning the iconic red cap at President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address. She had also served as a conduit between Trump and other Republican members on Capitol Hill. However, their relationship has been on shaky ground for some time, as Greene has gradually shifted her political stance, often diverging from party leadership. Her criticism of Republican leaders during the recent federal government shutdown and her call for a strategy to aid those losing health insurance subsidies have amplified this rift.

In a pointed critique, Trump accused Greene of veering “Far Left” and expressed frustration over her persistent complaints, stating, “All I hear from Marjorie is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” He further commented on her reported discontent over his unreturned calls, quipping, “I can’t take a ranting Lunatic’s call every day.”

In a swift response on X, Greene countered Trump’s remarks, accusing him of attacking her and spreading falsehoods. She shared a screenshot of a text she claimed to have sent him, which requested the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files—a matter she believes triggered his outburst.

Greene found it “astonishing” that Trump would vehemently oppose the release of the Epstein files, speculating that this might be why he resorted to such extreme measures against her. The U.S. House is set to vote on the release of these files next week, an event Greene seems to suggest is at the heart of their current conflict.

Writing that she had supported Trump “with too much of my precious time, too much of my own money, and fought harder for him even when almost all other Republicans turned their back and denounced him,” Greene added: “I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump.”

Trump’s post seemingly tied a bow of finality to fissures that widened following this month’s off-cycle elections, in which voters in the New Jersey and Virginia governor races flocked to Democrats in large part over concerns about the cost of living.

Last week, Greene told NBC News that “watching the foreign leaders come to the White House through a revolving door is not helping Americans,” saying that Trump needs to focus on high prices at home rather than his recent emphasis on foreign affairs. Trump responded by saying that Greene had “lost her way.”

Asked about Greene’s comments earlier Friday as he flew from Washington to Florida, Trump said reiterated that he felt “something happened to her over the last month or two,” saying that, if he hadn’t gone to China to meet leader Xi Jinping, there would have been negative ramifications for jobs in Georgia and elsewhere because China would have kept its curbs on magnet exports.

Saying that people have been calling him, wanting to challenge Greene, Trump added: “She’s lost a wonderful conservative reputation.”

Greene’s discontent dates back at least to May, when she announced she wouldn’t run for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff, while attacking GOP donors and consultants who feared she couldn’t win. In June, she publicly sided with Tucker Carlson after Trump called the commentator “kooky” in a schism that emerged between MAGA and national security hardliners over possible U.S. efforts at regime change in Iran.

That only intensified in July, when Greene said she wouldn’t run for governor. Then, she attacked a political “good ole boy” system, alleging it was endangering Republican control of the state. Greene embarked on a charm offensive in recent weeks, with interviews and appearances in media aimed at people who aren’t hardcore Trump supporters. Asked on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast if she wanted to run for president in 2028, Greene said in October, “I hate politics so much” and just wanted “to fix problems” — but didn’t give a definitive answer.

That climaxed with an appearance on Bill Maher’s HBO show “Real Time,” followed days later by a Nov. 4 appearance on ABC’s “The View.” Some observers began pronouncing Greene as reasonable as she trashed Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana for not calling Republicans back to Washington and coming up with a health care plan.

“I feel like I’m sitting next to a completely different Marjorie Taylor Greene,” said “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.

“Maybe you should become a Democrat, Marjorie,” said co-host Joy Behar.

“I’m not a Democrat,” Greene replied. “I think both parties have failed.”

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Jeff Amy contributed reporting from Atlanta. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP