Why MTG is being called RINO? Controversy explained as Laura Loomer launches scathing attack

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has recently differed from Donald Trump loyalists on some issues, including the release of the Epstein files.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican lawmaker from Georgia, is facing immense backlash online over her recent comments about deporting illegals. The 51-year-old has been called RINO by many of the MAGA loyalists online, with President Donald Trump's ally Laura Loomer launching a specially scathing attack.

Marjorie Taylor Greene faced severe backlash for her comments on The Tim Dillon Show.(Bloomberg)

RINO refers to ‘Republican in Name Only’. President Trump has used the term to call out traditional conservative politicians and candidates who weren't aligned with his ultra-conservative agenda, as per USA Today. The term itself is used for someone who is not loyal to the party, either by taking part in bipartisan politics, or by not falling in line with the MAGA agenda. Republican heavyweights like Ron DeSantis, Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney were all called RINO by Trump, the publication noted.

Now, his supporters have used the same term for MTG.

What did Marjorie Taylor Greene say?

Speaking on The Tim Dillon Show, MTG said ‘as a conservative’ and a ‘businesswoman working in the construction industry’ as well as a ‘realist’, she felt a smarter plan was needed to deal with the nation's labor problems.

“There needs to be a smarter plan than rounding up every single person and deporting them just like that,” the Republican heavyweight said. Admitting that she'd get pushback on the matter, MTG continued that she was just ‘living in reality’ from hereon out.

Notably, her comments come at a time when the US is seeing a concerted crackdown on illegal immigration, with widespread deportations being reported across the nation. This is also not the first time MTG has differed from the MAGA base of the Republican Party.

She has taken strong public stances against the Republican Party on issues like the government shutdown, the release of the Epstein files, and the war in Gaza, among others. MTG's stance has reportedly led to Trump calling at least two senior Republican officials in recent months to ask: “What’s going on with Marjorie?”, as per NBC News.

Marjorie Taylor Greene faces backlash for comments

Notably, MTG was once a staunch ally of Trump and her change in stance has brought with it a gamut of backlash. Laura Loomer was among the first to slam MTG, saying she is ‘trying to rebrand as a Democrat’.

“Don’t be surprised if she runs for president as a Democrat in 2028. She’s trying to get the most anti-Trump, left leaning personalities to reshape her image and get the left to give her a chance. She wants revenge on President Trump because he didn’t endorse her Senate and Gubernatorial campaigns in Georgia,” Loomer said.

“She wants to destroy MAGA because she isn’t the leader of MAGA,” the podcaster added.

Loomer continued her attacks today, bringing up an old post to show how she'd had been trying to ‘warn’ everyone about MTG's true nature for years. She also slammed MTG's stance on health insurance for kids. Notably, Loomer and MTG have often found themselves at loggerheads, with the latter even saying in 2024 that Loomer's rhetoric was a ‘huge problem’ that didn't ‘represent MAGA’.

However, it wasn't just Loomer. Many others slammed MTG's comments, calling her a RINO. "Nah the Karen of the "America First" aka @mtgreenee is a RINO," one person commented. “MTG has now come out and said she does NOT think every illegal should be deported. She thinks illegals who take jobs from Americans should be allowed to stay in the US. She is NOT America First. She is not MAGA. Wake up and stop supporting this RINO,” another said.

Yet another added, “I really liked MTG but she has waffled for the last time and now I consider her RINO more than MAGA. Her loss.”