I first met U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, during the primary season for Georgia’s 2020 6th Congressional District race. She knocked on my door in suburban North Fulton as a candidate for Congress.
While she eventually switched to run successfully for Congress in the 14th District — and Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Atlanta, defeated former Republican Rep. Karen Handel in the 6th District’s general election — I remember that Greene was sweet and energetic.
She talked about her children attending King’s Ridge Christian School and the beauty of Alpharetta. She owned a local gym and spoke about her family’s construction company.
Greene worked for my support. She did not care that I was an elected official. She was doing the little things that underfunded candidates do. She was process oriented. I respected that.
In December 2019, I had Greene on my podcast, The Ben Burnett show, when she was still vying for the 6th District GOP nomination.
We talked about kitchen table issues, North Fulton, why President Donald Trump resonated with her, why Republicans wanted Doug Collins to take the vacancy created by Sen. Johnny Isakson’s retirement.
Greene was as grounded as any guest I have ever had. So grounded that about a year later, The New York Times reporter Robert Draper emailed me, asking for a meeting. Rarely did the press bother to reach out to people like me, let alone a vague email from The New York Times. I had no idea what Draper wanted, but I also did not want to be a cautionary tale. So, I called him. Thankfully, The New York Times was not interested in me. They were interested in Marjorie Taylor Greene, and what I thought about her newfound fame.
MTG stood out as a member of Congress
Credit: hand
Credit: hand
Greene made the decision to switch congressional races into Northwest Georgia and she won.
That’s because “MTG” has the unique ability to carve out a following. She is one of the legends of the game with respect to small-dollar fundraising. Greene was one of the great minority party members of Congress when the GOP was out of power.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy utilized her abilities extremely well. Greene was an ally of McCarthy when he was recalled. She stood by him, loyally.
You do not see that often in politics. Greene did not always agree with the direction of McCarthy, but she became a trusted Republican. Even if media pundits still treated her like a pariah, Greene created a much more important role in Congress.
Political success is a shared sacrifice; it is not always a shared gain. In a game of binary results, decisions get made. People can take that personally; Greene did. President Trump made the strategic decision to support Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the 2026 Georgia governor’s race. If Greene felt slighted by the decision, I understand. Jones does not have the national name recognition of MTG. But the lieutenant governor is no less a leader.
Jones has governed the Georgia Senate far more successfully than the U.S. House Republicans caucus has governed.
Being a target of Trump is no picnic
Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
By no means is that the fault of Congresswoman Greene. But if affordability is the biggest problem in America, Congressional House Republicans possess plenty of the blame. Dissatisfaction among Americans with their federal politics is high.
I do not write that to put her down. Greene knew the needs of her district with respect to reopening the government. Are they altruistic reasons? Perhaps. But leaders admit their shortcomings, as well as their disagreements they have with their own party. That is the great strength that Republicans have over the Democrats in 2025. Greene is no exception. The Epstein files have existed for years; the Democrats did nothing with them. Greene, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and a handful of others made that happen. It may have been out of spite, but it was what Americans wanted.
I do not know Greene’s reasons for resigning after five years. Being on the end of a Trump tirade is not for the faint of heart. Ask Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, among others. Hiring private security and defending against half-truths should not be normal. Yet we accept it — political fame comes with a significant cost.
Public service is a calling, but it is not where I would ever put my self-worth. Politicos are surrounded by people who want more; they are surrounded by egos. Your currency in public service is a perpetual calculation that you may not even be aware of. The circus always moves on.
If you gain the whole world and forfeit your soul, at best you end up where you started. With all the opining in the media about why now, perhaps Marjorie Taylor Greene realized what successful people already know: There is more to life. For all the dissenters who doubt her logic, maybe it is that simple.
Ben Burnett is a business owner and former member of the Alpharetta City Council. He is a Republican and a regular contributor to the AJC.
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