Inside the MAGA battle to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

Summary

Apple News Today

Episode: Inside the MAGA battle to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

Date: February 16, 2026 | Host: Cecilia Ley

---

Overview

This episode delves into three primary topics:

1. The Trump administration’s tense interactions with European allies at the Munich Security Conference, highlighting shifts in diplomatic tone and lingering disputes.
2. The crowded and politically charged race to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene’s congressional seat in Georgia following her fallout with Trump and subsequent retirement.
3. The rapid expansion of AI initiatives within the federal government and the policy debates surrounding their impact and possible pitfalls.

Additional brief stories touch on a racist AI-generated video involving Barack Obama, controversial policy changes at Southwest Airlines, and an Olympic curling cheating scandal.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting U.S.–Europe Relations at the Munich Security Conference

Key Segments:

• [00:05–03:50]

• Warmer Tone from the U.S.:

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio, addressing the conference, signaled a less confrontational approach compared to prior years.
    • Quote (Rubio, [01:09]):

      “We care deeply about your future and ours...if at times we disagree, our disagreements come from our profound sense of concern about a Europe with which we are connected not just economically, not just militarily. We are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally.”

    • Rubio emphasized America’s “child of Europe” identity and desire to reinvigorate the transatlantic alliance, but was direct in his criticism of European migration and climate initiatives.

• European Pushback:

  • European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Mears and French President Emmanuel Macron, responded with sharper-toned speeches questioning U.S. leadership.
    • Quote (Macron, [02:49]):

      “Europe is a radically original political construction of free sovereign states who conjure together centuries of rivalry and war to institutionalize peace through economic interdependence.”

  • Ongoing tensions over Greenland’s status remain unresolved. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen made clear the Kingdom of Denmark’s opposition to U.S. demands.
    • Quote (Frederiksen, [03:34]):

      “I think the desire from the US President is exactly the same. He is very serious about this theme. And as you know, I disagree with him.”

• Democratic Presence:

  • Gavin Newsom encouraged European leaders to see Trump as a “temporary” phenomenon.
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s rare foreign policy appearance hinted at broader ambitions.

---

2. Post-Greene Georgia: The Crowded MAGA Contest

Key Segments:

• [05:00–07:40]

• Greene’s Abrupt Exit:

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene turned against Trump over the Epstein files and other policy disagreements, ultimately retiring. Trump commented on their falling out.
    • Quote (Trump, [05:00]):

      “I don’t know what happened to Marjorie. She’s a nice woman, but I don’t know what happened. She’s lost her way, I think.”

• Dynamics of the Special Election:

  • Alec Hernandez (POLITICO) breaks down the race’s complexity:
    • 22 candidates have entered, with 17 Republicans in a highly conservative district ([05:26]).
    • Candidates carefully avoid criticizing Greene due to her continued popularity, even as they position themselves close to Trump.
      • Quote (Hernandez, [05:51]):

        “They’re cozying up to Trump, but they’re also being careful not to attack Marjorie Taylor Greene because she remains popular in the district.”

    • With so many Republicans, votes could splinter, potentially letting a Democrat or independent make the runoff.
      • Quote (Hernandez, [06:48]):

        “If you have so many Republican candidates running on the same ticket, that’s going to dilute the vote, and it could elevate the Democrat.”

• Kingmaker Politics:

  • Trump’s endorsement power is tested—he’s backed Clay Fuller, while Greene remains neutral.
    • Quote (Hernandez, [07:18]):

      “He’s a kingmaker within the Republican Party. We see how far his endorsement goes...But is Donald Trump able to undo the sort of celebrity of these MAGA personalities that he created in the first place?”

---

3. Government AI Frenzy—Promise and Pitfalls

Key Segments:

• [08:10–11:25]

• Trump’s Optimism:

  • New executive orders on AI encourage rapid, lightly regulated government adoption.
    • Quote (Trump, [08:10]):

      “It’ll be the greatest jobs producer. It’ll be the greatest military producer. It’ll be the greatest medical producer. There’ll be tremendous good, and there’ll be probably some bad, too.”

• Agency Initiatives:

  • Hundreds of AI projects launched in the past year, ranging from automating administrative tasks to more sensitive operations like facial recognition (DHS), investigative sorting (FBI), and even suicide risk prediction (VA).
    • Quote (Ian Duncan, [08:55]):

      “Some of these are quite sensitive things...working on DHS’s deportation and immigration enforcement efforts, quite deep work on how the Department of Veterans Affairs provides medical care and benefits to people who've served in the military.”

• Risk & Accountability:

  • Cautionary tales, like New York’s failed business chatbot and non-existent citations in federal health reports, highlight the risks of rushed AI integration.
    • Quote (Duncan, [10:38]):

      “Anybody who has used an AI tool in their own life knows it can make mistakes or it can kind of go off on weird tangents. But if you are using these to make important government decisions or inform them in some way, the stakes are just quite different.”

  • Advocacy groups warn against over-reliance on unexplainable AI decisions without human intervention.

---

4. News Briefs & Notable Moments

Obama Responds to Racist AI Video

• [12:01]
  • Trump’s account posts an AI video depicting the Obamas as apes. Obama denounces the act.
    • Quote (Obama, [12:01]):

      “I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling...but you meet people, they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”

Obama on Homelessness and Aliens

• [12:32]
  • Obama urges Democrats to seek practical solutions on homelessness.
  • He jokingly says aliens are real but hasn’t seen them and denies existence of underground facilities.

Southwest Airlines Rebrands—To Traveler Fury

• [13:10]
  • Southwest scraps its open seating and free checked bag policies, leading to customer backlash—yet profits are up.

Olympic Curling Cheating Scandal

• [13:50]
  • Swedish team accuses Canadians of “double touch” cheating; controversy erupts due to lack of video review.
    • Memorable Exchange ([14:25]–[14:36]):
      • “I haven’t done it once—”
      • “I’ll show you a video after the game.”
      • “How about you walking around on my peel on the last stand, dancing around the house here. How about that?”
    • Curling officials now have extra monitors at matches.

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Rubio on Europe:

  “We are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally. We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive.” ([01:09])

• Macron’s Defense:

  “Europe is a radically original political construction...to institutionalize peace through economic interdependence.” ([02:49])

• Trump on Greene:

  “She’s lost her way, I think.” ([05:00])

• Hernandez on MAGA Dilemma:

  “They’re cozying up to Trump, but they’re also being careful not to attack Marjorie Taylor Greene...” ([05:51])

• Trump on AI:

  “There’ll be tremendous good, and there’ll be probably some bad, too.” ([08:10])

• Obama on Decency:

  “Most of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling...they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.” ([12:01]–[12:32])

---

Memorable Moments & Tone

• The palpable relief in the Munich audience after Rubio’s speech ([02:11]), described with subtle humor.
• The oddity of Ocasio-Cortez’s international appearance, hinting at wider ambitions ([03:50]).
• The sardonic back-and-forth in curling, giving a glimpse into the intensity of Olympic sports ([14:25]–[14:39]).
• Obama’s wry comment on conspiracy theories and aliens ([12:32]).

---

Episode Flow and Tone

The episode blends serious analysis with dry wit and vivid anecdotes. The tone remains accessible, conversational, and brisk, offering insights into high-stakes global politics, grassroots electoral dynamics, and emerging technology dilemmas, always with a focus on direct quotes and journalistic commentary.

---

For more stories, tune in to the Apple News app or subscribe to Apple News Narrated for extended coverage.

Transcript

[Cecilia Ley]

Good morning. The Trump administration spent the weekend in Munich looking to dial down tensions with allies with mixed results. Europe has taken some shock therapy and some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed anymore. Marjorie Taylor Greene has left the political stage, but as political reports, her presence still hangs over the race to replace her and the cheating accusations swirling around the Winter Olympics. Curling It's Monday, February 16th. I'm Cecilia Ley. This is Apple News Today. Many of the world's most powerful and influential people descended on Germany over the weekend for the Munich Security Conference. Last year, Vice President J.D. vance stunned audiences when he scolded European democracies. So diplomats were watching closely this year. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to the stage on Saturday, he delivered a speech that was, at least in tone, warmer to his hosts.

[Marco Rubio]

We care deeply about your future and ours, and if at times we disagree, our disagreements come from our profound sense of concern about a Europe with which we are connected not just economically, not just militarily. We are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally. We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive.

[Cecilia Ley]

It did share some themes with Vance. Rubio was critical of Europe's policies on migration and climate change and warned against what he called a malaise of hopelessness.

[Marco Rubio]

We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West's managed decline. We do not seek to separate but to revitalize an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history. What we want is a reinvigorated alliance that recognizes that what has ailed our societies is not just a set of bad policies, but a malaise of hopelessness and complacency.

[Cecilia Ley]

While he was blunt in some areas, Rubio's speech was a shift. Only months earlier, the Trump administration was openly speculating about annexing European territory. But now, Rubio said the US Would always be, quote, a child of Europe. As he concluded, the chairman of the conference noted to Rubio the audience's sigh of relief. Rubio's remarks came after a series of speeches from European leaders that were sharper toned this year. German Chancellor Friedrich Mears questioned the U.S. s claim to global leadership, and French President Emmanuel Macron opened his speech with a staunch defense against U.S. criticism.

[Emmanuel Macron]

Europe has been vilified as an aging, slow, fragmented construction sidelined by history, as an over regulated, listless economy that shuns innovations. I want to offer a wholly different view. Europe is a radically original political construction of free sovereign states who conjure together centuries of rivalry and war to institutionalize peace through economic Interdependence.

[Cecilia Ley]

There appeared to be no progress on Greenland's future, though no details have been offered since Trump stepped back from his demands at Davos last year. And on Friday, he simply said negotiations were ongoing. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Friedrichsen was asked if the crisis had paused for now.

[Mette Frederiksen]

No, unfortunately not. I think the desire from the US President is exactly the same. He is very serious about this theme. And as you know, I disagree with him. And we disagree, of course, as a kingdom of Denmark. And by the way, Europe disagree.

[Cecilia Ley]

Alongside the big speeches were dozens of hallway discussions, fireside chats, and opportunities for ambitious Democratic lawmakers to get some on the world stage. California Governor Gavin Newsom urged Europeans to see Trump as temporary and encourage leaders to step up their criticism. And Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made a surprising appearance. Known mostly for domestic issues, this was a rare foreign policy engagement and a hint for some that she might have larger ambitions. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, was there, too, and said allies were still upset by recent threats by Trump. Himes told the New York Times that if he had to sum up his meanings in Munich with the cartoon, he would draw a European saying greenland, Greenland, Greenland. It was perhaps the biggest MAGA breakup of President Trump's second term so far. MAGA is, I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people.

[Donald Trump]

I don't know what happened to Marjorie. She's a nice woman, but I don't know what happened. She's lost her way, I think.

[Cecilia Ley]

Marjorie Taylor Greene's 180 degree turn on the White House began with the Epstein files, but grew into wider discontent with Trump's agenda. She's now retired from the House, and today early voting for her seat in Georgia has begun.

[Alec Hernandez]

The first thing I would say that you need to know about this race is that it is extremely crowded.

[Cecilia Ley]

Alec Hernandez is a national politics reporter for POLITICO.

[Alec Hernandez]

22 candidates total filed and qualified to be in the race. So 17 of those candidates are Republicans. And obviously in this sort of very conservative district in northwest Georgia, Republicans are really the ones who are likely going to dominate here.

[Cecilia Ley]

The political makeup of the district means Trump remains popular, but as Hernandez reports, so is Greene. That's created a delicate tightrope for Republican candidates to walk.

[Alec Hernandez]

There's no one candidate who is out on the campaign trail or out on social media saying, hey, we lost Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. I'm gonna go to Congress and I'm gonna fill the Same role that she did. You know, basically, like, the approach that they're all taking is a. They're cozying up to Trump, but they're also being careful not to attack Marjorie Taylor Greene because she remains popular in the district. So it's created a really interesting dynamic where it's like these candidates are going out and promoting their sort of like, MAGA platforms, but at the same time, they're not following Trump's lead in just totally bashing Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[Cecilia Ley]

The special election was called in early January, so candidates have not had much time to campaign. All candidates, regardless of party, are on the same ballot, and there will be a runoff in April if no one gets 50% of the votes. Because of all this, Hernandez says the deciding factor will likely be paid media and how quickly candidates can raise and spend money. But the range of candidates means a Democrat has a chance of actually making the runoff.

[Alec Hernandez]

Part of the fear there, at least among Republicans, was that, you know, if you have so many Republican candidates running on the same ticket, that's going to dilute the vote, and it could elevate the Democrat who's running in the race, one of the independents, a sort of candidate who otherwise wouldn't have really made any significant sort of notch there.

[Cecilia Ley]

As the midterms approach, some Republicans are keeping an eye on voter behavior to see which candidates they pick and how close they align to Trump or Greene. And Hernandez told us the race suggests that it might be easier for Trump to elevate a MAGA supporter than to bring them down.

[Alec Hernandez]

He's a kingmaker within the Republican Party. We see how far his endorsement goes, and so there are countless examples of how he is able to elevate. But I think what this race is potentially an interesting window into is, is Donald Trump able to undo the sort of celebrity of these MAGA personalities that he created in the first place?

[Cecilia Ley]

Trump has endorsed Republican Clay Fuller, a local district attorney and Air Force veteran, while Greene has stayed out of the race. In recent months, the Trump administration has shown its enthusiasm for AI through some executive orders that encourage rapid adoption of the technology with minimal regulations. Speaking to NBC a couple of weeks ago, Trump reiterated his optimism.

[Donald Trump]

It'll be the greatest jobs producer. It'll be the greatest military producer. It'll be the greatest medical producer. There'll be tremendous good, and there'll be probably some bad, too.

[Cecilia Ley]

And that approach, as the Washington Post Ian Duncan told us, is starting to influence how the country is run day to day.

[Ian Duncan]

That excitement about that technology that also the administration is applying it to the federal government itself and looking for ways to embed AI technology inside the government, really from top to bottom.

[Cecilia Ley]

Duncan and his colleagues analyzed dozens of disclosures from agencies documenting how they use AI. They found that hundreds of projects have been launched in the last year. Some of that involves automating routine tasks or chatbots.

[Ian Duncan]

What we were seeing, too, is that some of these are quite sensitive things. So working on DHS's deportation and immigration enforcement efforts, quite deep work on how the Department of Veterans affairs provides medical care and benefits to people who've served in the military.

[Cecilia Ley]

He gave us a string of examples. DHS has adopted more sophisticated facial recognition tools. The FBI is relying on new systems to sift through information for investigative leads. And according to the Post, the VA is developing an AI program to help predict whether a veteran is likely to attempt suicide. Duncan said that's an example of where people see a lot of upside in using the technology.

[Ian Duncan]

I talked to someone at VFW who advocates for veterans, and they said they're sort of a mix of excited and concerned about this, that they don't want to get into a situation where decisions are solely being made by an AI system, by a computer, that someone can't come in and challenge or understand how a decision was made, and that they're very keen that there is a human in the loop.

[Cecilia Ley]

But integrating AI sloppily can spell embarrassment for government leaders. Take, for example, former New York Mayor Eric Adams, who launched a chatbot back in 2023 to help people navigate local business regulations. It became known for giving wrong advice, like telling employers they could take a cut of workers tips. His successor, Zoharan Mandani, shut it down a couple of weeks ago, calling it, quote, functionally un unusable. And there appeared to be some evidence of AI malfunction when HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Released a children's health report last May that cited research studies that didn't exist.

[Ian Duncan]

Anybody who has used an AI tool in their own life knows it can make mistakes or it can kind of go off on weird tangents. But if you are using these to make important government decisions or inform them in some way, the stakes are just quite different. I think the other piece of this is that these tools are potentially pretty effective means of surveillance and of kind of combining information that's useful for law enforcement and if there are things in the systems that are kind of ending up sort of discriminating or aren't really possible to challenge or hold accountable, that there is some sort of risk or concern that people might reasonably have about how they're being used in surveillance and.

[Cecilia Ley]

Policing, but DHS has said it employs technology while respecting civil liberties and privacy interests. And finally, a few other stories we're following. Over the weekend, former President Barack Obama responded to the racist AI video posted by President Trump's social media account earlier this month. In it, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were depicted as apes. He shared his thoughts in an interview with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen.

[Barack Obama]

First of all, I think it's important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling. It is true that it gets attention, it's true that it's a distraction.

[Marco Rubio]

But.

[Barack Obama]

As I'm traveling around the country, as you're traveling around the country, you meet people, they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.

[Cecilia Ley]

Also in the wide ranging interview, Obama urged Democrats to change their approach on homelessness and find more practical solutions, saying most Americans don't want to, quote, navigate around a tent city. And then towards the end of the conversation, during a lightning round of questions, Cohen asked Obama if aliens are real. Obama said they were, but that he hasn't seen them and that there is no underground facility. As many conspiracy theories have stated, passengers have not taken kindly to Southwest Airlines recent changes. The airline eliminated its famous open seating policy where flyers could sit wherever they liked. They also got rid of their bags fly free policy that let passengers check two pieces of luggage at no cost. The Washington Post reports a number of passenger complaints since the changes took effect, unavailable overhead bin space, kids being assigned seats far from their parents, and strict rules about staying in your seat even when there are empty rows, the editor of one travel site told the Post Southwest had nuked its beloved brand in just under a year. One user on X suggested the carrier should quote uno reverse card this policy. Southwest made the changes to become more profitable, which the Post says is working so far as the company saw record revenue in 2025. It's also seen a jump in stock price since the seating policy began, and finally, a cheating scandal in Olympic curling at the Milan Cortina Games over the weekend. On Friday, the Swedish men's team accused Team Canada of an illegal move known as a double touc. That's when a stone is touched after it passed the hogline, which marks the minimum distance the stone must travel after being thrown. The Canadians did not take the accusation lightly. Here's the exchange between Canada's Mark Kennedy and Sweden's Oskar Eriksen.

[Alec Hernandez]

I haven't done it once you can.

[Marco Rubio]

Off, you haven't done it once.

[Cecilia Ley]

I haven't done it once.

[Alec Hernandez]

Okay, I'll show you a video after the game.

[Barack Obama]

How about you walking around on my.

[Donald Trump]

Peel on the last stand, dancing around the house here. How about that?

[Alec Hernandez]

Come on, Austin to show you a video.

[Cecilia Ley]

Canada ended up winning that match, but Sweden doubled down, saying that by touching the stone and not the handle, their opponents circumvented electronic monitors. On Saturday, Canada's women's team was also called for a double touch and were penalized. Rachel Holman said there was no way she committed the infraction, but because there is no video replay, she couldn't contest the call. Canada's men's captain called the penalty despicable and said the Canadians were being targeted. Since the scandal broke, the double touch rule has sparked debate and World Curling said two officials are now stationed at remaining matches to monitor for double touches. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. Men's Health explores the wide range of medical diagnostic testing companies that have recently come to market and offer pricey tests for everything from cancer to brain health. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.