President Trump on Monday responded to criticisms by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who accused the president of focusing more on foreign affairs than matters at home on a day when he met with the new Syrian leader.
Trump said he was surprised by Greene’s statements and suggested she had some “act going.”
“I don’t know what happened to Marjorie. Nice woman, but she’s lost her way,” the president said in the Oval Office when asked about Greene’s criticism.
“I have to view the presidency as a worldwide situation, not locally. And we could have a world that’s on fire where wars come to our shores very easily,” he continued.
The president went on to cite the passage of the massive Republican reconciliation package called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year as evidence of his focus on domestic policy.
“When somebody like Marjorie goes over and starts making statements like that, it shows she doesn’t know,” Trump said.
“I’m surprised at her,” he said, saying she has “some kind of an act going.”
Trump meets roughly one foreign leader per week and has taken numerous trips around the world, including Europe, the Middle East and a recent tour of Asia during the government shutdown.
Greene criticized Trump over meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Monday.
“I would really like to see nonstop meetings at the WH on domestic policy not foreign policy and foreign country’s leaders,” Greene said in a post on the social platform X. “Start by hauling in the health insurance company’s executives and let’s start formulating our Republican plan to save America from Obamacare and ACA tax credits that have skyrocketed the cost of health insurance!”
Greene is known as a strong Trump ally, but she has emerged as a critic of the GOP in recent months, including on preparing for the upcoming expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
She also made headlines when she offered unheard-of Republican praise for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) following news she will not run for reelection next year. Greene told CNN in an interview she was “very impressed” with Pelosi’s “ability to get things done.”
Greene’s reaction to Pelosi’s retirement was in stark contrast with Trump, who called Pelosi an “evil woman.”
