Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — one of the most polarizing figures in Congress and a lawmaker whose political persona has long been defined by confrontation — said Sunday she plans to abandon the “toxic” rhetoric that helped make her a conservative celebrity. The pledge marks a startling shift in tone for a Republican who has spent years attacking political rivals, stoking conspiracies, and sparring with members of her own party.

Greene Worries Trump’s Attacks Will Put Her In Danger

Greene’s comments came during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, where she addressed her ongoing and increasingly public rift with President Donald Trump. Once one of Trump’s fiercest defenders, Greene now finds herself on the receiving end of his ire — and said she worries his attacks could put her in danger. “The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor,” Greene said. “Those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.” Pressed on why she hadn’t spoken out against Trump’s rhetoric until it was directed at her, Greene admitted the point was “fair criticism.”

Responsibility Is Key

Greene apologized for her own role in the country’s coarsened political climate. “I would like to say, humbly, I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics; it’s very bad for our country,” she said. She added that she had begun reevaluating her approach in the aftermath of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — an event she said forced her to reconsider the real-world consequences of incendiary language. “I’m only responsible for myself and my own words and actions,” Greene said. “I’ve been working on this a lot lately, to put down the knives in politics. I really want to just see people be kind to one another.”

Greene Has Been Combative From The Jump

Greene’s effort to pivot lands against the backdrop of her long and well-documented history of inflammatory behavior. Before entering Congress, she signaled support for posts calling for violence against Democratic officials. In 2021, she compared COVID mask requirements in the House to Nazi policies targeting Jews, later issuing an apology. She has clashed repeatedly with her Republican colleagues, including high-profile verbal brawls with Reps. Jasmine Crockett, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Lauren Boebert. She was even expelled from the conservative House Freedom Caucus after a series of internal fights.

Agent Of Chaos

Outside Congress, Greene has often generated headlines for confrontations with journalists and for rhetoric that embraced conspiracy theories or demeaned entire groups of people. Her critics have long argued that the chaos she creates is the point — a brand of politics built on perpetual outrage.

Greene Wants Everyone To Simmer Down

But Greene insisted Sunday that era is over. She called on both parties — and Trump specifically — to help lower the temperature. “America needs a new path forward,” she said. “We need to come together and end all the toxic, dangerous rhetoric and divide. I’m leading the way with my own example, and I hope that President Trump can do the same.” Whether her reset sticks remains to be seen. For now, Greene is trying something unfamiliar: a softer tone in a political environment she helped harden.