Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently introduced a controversial bill seeking to eliminate the H-1B visa programme, has announced that she will step down from her position as a lawmaker in January. Her decision comes at a time when her once-strong alliance with former President Donald Trump has deteriorated into open conflict, particularly over immigration policies and the H-1B system, which enables American companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals. The programme is especially significant for Indian workers, who make up nearly 70 per cent of its annual beneficiaries.
Greene revealed that she would be resigning from her seat in the House of Representatives, abruptly ending her third term just days after a very public confrontation with Trump. Although Greene has been widely known as one of Trump’s most loyal supporters—standing by him after the January 6 Capitol attack, endorsing his 2024 presidential campaign, and echoing his hardline stances on immigration—her relationship with him fractured sharply last week. The fallout intensified when Trump withdrew his endorsement of her and insulted her publicly, calling her a “lunatic,” shortly after she declared her intention to introduce a bill terminating the H-1B programme altogether.
The friction between them appeared to worsen after Greene’s bill clashed directly with Trump’s own public defence of the H-1B visa system. In a recent interview, Trump argued that the United States must bring in skilled labour from abroad to address shortages in specialised sectors. Many political analysts believe Greene attempted to redefine the “America First” ideology independently of Trump, positioning herself as the purist voice of the movement. Reports also indicated that Trump had been frustrated with Greene for repeatedly pressuring him to release the Epstein files, but it was her attack on the H-1B programme—something he unexpectedly supported—that triggered his most forceful backlash.
Influential MAGA voices have long demanded that the H-1B programme be abolished, claiming it harms American workers by enabling companies to replace them with cheaper foreign labour. Greene echoed this sentiment. She escalated her criticism by publicly accusing Trump of abandoning “America First” principles. She argued that his support for H-1B visas, as well as the presence of large numbers of foreign students in U.S. universities, undermines opportunities for American citizens. Greene said that Trump’s embrace of global talent and his frequent foreign travel do little to improve the lives of Americans at home, and she openly challenged the President during media interviews, marking an unprecedented shift in tone from a staunch Trump ally.
Greene has also become a prominent Republican voice on polarising issues, such as calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza a genocide and demanding full disclosure of the Epstein files. Her insistence on releasing the files has fuelled friction within the GOP, even as she argues that the party must focus more intensely on affordability and policies that put American citizens first. What began as a difference in opinion has now escalated into a complete breakdown in her relationship with Trump, leaving the two locked in a very public ideological battle.
Trump, meanwhile, has taken a surprisingly favourable stance toward the H-1B programme in recent weeks. He argued during a Fox News interview that the U.S. does not have enough workers with the specialised skills required for certain industries. When the interviewer insisted that America has “plenty of talent,” Trump quickly countered by saying that some jobs—particularly in advanced manufacturing and defence—require expertise that cannot simply be filled by people pulled from unemployment lines. He also praised foreign students, calling them an asset to American universities and businesses, a position that contradicts the long-standing anti-immigration messaging from parts of the MAGA movement.
The final blow came when Trump announced on Truth Social that he was officially withdrawing his support for Greene. He accused her of constant complaints and claimed that she had done very little legislatively. Trump harshly stated that he no longer answers Greene’s phone calls and described her as a “ranting lunatic.” He even suggested that Republican voters in her district were fed up with her behaviour and hinted that he would support a primary challenger against her. The once-solid alliance between Trump and Greene has now completely collapsed, with Greene attempting to portray herself as the uncompromising defender of the America First agenda, while Trump dismisses her as divisive and counterproductive. Her aggressive stance on the H-1B visa programme appears to be one of the major factors that intensified their highly visible feud.
