A veteran GOP strategist warned that after Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she won’t seek another term, her departure should be seen as a warning sign of things to come.
Brendan Buck, who advised former House Speaker Paul Ryan, recently appeared on MS NOW and was asked to give his take on Greene’s exit. The host questioned what Speaker Mike Johnson was thinking as one of the GOP’s most recognizable MAGA figures steps down while publicly predicting Republicans will lose their House majority.
“I mean, I think on one hand, he’s probably not sad to see Marjorie Taylor Greene go. She has been a trouble for him,” Buck said in response. But it wasn’t the departure itself that grabbed his attention; it was what Greene said on her way out. She told supporters the House is “going to go to Democrats next year,” a prediction rarely spoken out loud by sitting lawmakers, especially those as closely tied to the party’s base as Greene.
“You picked out the thing that stuck out to me most as well,” Buck told the host, continuing: “She said the House is going to go to Democrats next year. I mean, that’s a remarkable thing to be saying.”
He noted that Greene’s reasoning seemed fairly straightforward, if she expects Republicans to lose control, she would return to Washington with far less sway than she has now. “What’s the point of sticking around? I’m going to be in the minority. I’m not going to have any authority,” he said about his opinion behind her move.
Buck argued that MTG’s prediction should make the rest of the GOP nervous. Someone as influential and loyal to the Trump wing of the party as Greene openly predicting a Democratic takeover, he said, “should give I think a lot of Republicans pause about what they’re doing right now, the direction that they’re headed.”
He added that the party’s recent trajectory hasn’t inspired much confidence. “Things have not been going their way lately. And I think it’d be very hard for people to deny it.”
Greene’s decision dropped into an already unsettled political environment for Republicans. The House majority is narrow and fragile, and the party has endured a steady stream of early retirements, internal clashes, and stalled legislative efforts. Greene, for all her controversy, has held considerable sway over the conference. Her sudden exit, paired with her prediction of a Democratic victory, only adds to the sense of drift.
It is unusual for any lawmaker, particularly one still aligned with the party’s dominant faction, to speak so bluntly about losing. While her feud with Trump escalated, she has remained steadfast with her right-wing views. Most would insist the polls will turn, the base will rally, and the party will regain its footing. Greene’s message was different. She seemed to be acknowledging a political tide shifting in the other direction, and doing so without much hesitation.
Greene isn’t just retiring, she is leaving while telling her party that she sees little chance of holding on to power. Whether Republicans treat that as a warning or simply more noise from a divisive figure is unclear. But Buck’s point was simple enough: when even a MAGA mainstay is predicting a loss, the party would be wise to stop and ask why.
