The Tara Palmeri Show: "Why Marjorie Taylor Greene TURNED on Trump" (Oct 17, 2025)

Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Dean Blundell (Canadian political commentator, media critic)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tara Palmeri and Dean Blundell dissect why Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG), the once loyal MAGA firebrand, is vocally breaking away from Donald Trump. Palmeri provides deeply sourced insight, offering a behind-the-scenes look at Greene's motivations, the inside baseball of DC politics, and cultural undercurrents shaping the right. The episode also explores the escalating tensions around the “No Kings” protests, Trump’s military posturing, ICE raids, and press freedom under the current administration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Atmosphere in Washington & "No Kings" Protests

• Protest Tensions: Tara opens by describing Washington’s tense atmosphere, amplified by looming government shutdowns and a new wave of mass protests ("No Kings") coinciding with Trump’s military parades.
  • "There's something in the air in Washington... Marjorie Taylor Greene's heel turn continues. The MAGA firebrand who once swore undying loyalty to Trump is now blasting her own party." — Tara Palmeri [00:27]
• Escalating Risks: Both Tara and Dean express concern that the confluence of ICE raids, military exercises, and protest movements create a “tinderbox” environment.
  • "It just feels like it's a recipe for violence. It feels like it's a tinderbox, especially when you know that some people are coming to the fight with weapons." — Tara Palmeri [08:29]

2. Trump Administration Crackdown on Press Access

• Pentagon Press Restrictions: Discussion on Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s failed attempt to force journalists to sign NDA-style "loyalty pledges," which even Fox News refused, leading to a press walkout.
  • "You only do this if you are very paranoid and you, you don't think that you have your...ranks in line. People that complain about leaks cannot control their...they're feeling threatened." — Tara Palmeri [12:51]
  • "If you thought Pete Hegseth was angry about leaks before, look what he just did." — Dean Blundell [14:06]
• Press Corps Silver Lining: Tara celebrates investigative journalism, predicting the restrictions will provoke more leaks and sharpen coverage.
  • "Almost like they've been set free...they thought they could get away with plugging leaks. The more that [Trump] complained about plugging leaks, the more phone calls you got, the more leaks there were. It was, you can't plug the leaks." — Tara Palmeri [16:01, 16:46]

3. Why Did Marjorie Taylor Greene Turn on Trump?

• Personal Grievances Over Grand Strategy: Palmeri explains MTG’s split is driven less by strategic foresight or ideological conversion, and more by personal slights and self-interest:

  • Trump’s team refused to back her desired Senate or governor runs in Georgia.
  • She’s frustrated over being passed over for leadership or administration posts.
  • MTG’s break on harsh deportations—once a cause she championed—now grows from business self-interest (her family construction company relies on immigrant labor).
  • "She had a break with Trump when they didn't support her to run statewide...another heartbreak for her because she feels like she's been a bulldog...she just feels like she's been getting burned." — Tara Palmeri [20:28]
  • "This is like...pure, animalistic reaction to feeling like these people haven't been paying attention to me." — Tara Palmeri [26:49]

• Not a Calculated Move:

  • "She's not a calculating person. She acts out of raw emotion...she does not think that far ahead." — Tara Palmeri [24:49]
  • Dean, wryly: "I don't think this is a woman that thinks too far ahead in general, not just about her political career." [25:15]

4. The Epstein Files: Sincere or Self-Serving?

• Is Greene Sincere on Epstein Justice?

  • Tara believes MTG is genuinely motivated by the Epstein files and justice for victims, but also savvy that it’s politically non-risky.
  • "I actually think she does want justice for them...no one is...if you defy the President on wanting the Epstein files, no voter is going to say, oh, that was a bad choice." — Tara Palmeri [28:20]

• Political Calculations for Others:

  • Nancy Mace might flip if her gubernatorial ambitions require Trump’s support, but for most Republicans, being seen as blocking Epstein transparency is an untenable position.

• What Happens If the Files Get Released?

  • Tara is skeptical genuine transparency will occur: DHS and DOJ tend to heavily redact, and any true revelations will come from leaks and whistleblowers.
  • "The DOJ is not going to hand us the Epstein files. And if they do, it will be long after everything in them is out in the public...so yes, that's your prognostication. My prognostication is that...it's going to come from leaks, going to come from journalists, and it's going to come from the survivors." — Tara Palmeri [36:41]

5. The Cost of Paranoia and Performance

• Large-scale ICE raids and public demands for documentation are described as traumatizing for communities and potentially fracturing national psyche.
  • "Just hearing about these children being, you know, shaken from their beds and...drawn out in the middle of the night and in ice raids in Chicago at gunpoint—gunpoint!—I mean, they'll never forget that for the rest of their lives." — Tara Palmeri [09:43]

6. Journalism as Activism and “Muckraking”

• Tara closes on the power and responsibility of investigative reporting, tracing her passion back to muckrakers and class-based injustices.
  • "I've always believed investigative journalism is the most important journalism...I liked the idea of being an investigative reporter, that caused change...you could use the power of the pen to enact change, to hold truth to power." — Tara Palmeri [34:30, 36:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the real driver of Greene’s turn:
  • "This is not, like, some kind of political light...this is just pure, like, animalistic reaction..." — Tara Palmeri [26:49]
• On the Trump team's lack of foresight on press ban:
  • "Almost like they've been set free..." — Dean Blundell [16:01]
• On the suffering caused by ICE raids:
  • "They're going to be shaken. They're going to have anxiety...that's a terrifying experience to have." — Tara Palmeri [09:43]
• On the power structures and class in politics (paraphrased):
  • MTG’s rhetorical pivot is anti-elite, anti-corruption, and ultimately “a class story."
• On the politics of protest and repression:
  • "Trump thinks there are his states, and then there are the rest...the rest, he will punish and try to bend them to his will. But that's just not how it works." — Tara Palmeri [05:52]
• On leaks as unpluggable:
  • "The more that [Trump] complained about plugging leaks, the more phone calls you got...It just doesn't happen." — Tara Palmeri [16:46]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:27] Setting the scene: DC paranoia, "No Kings" protest, MTG rebelling against Trump
• [04:34] Military parades, protest atmospheres, and government strategies in LA/NY
• [08:29] Concerns about violence and trauma due to increased ICE and military presence
• [11:52] Press walkout at Pentagon, significance for journalism
• [16:01] Press freed from briefings may break bigger stories
• [18:48] Transition to MTG and her break with MAGA/Trump
• [20:28] Direct reporting on MTG’s motivations—personal slights, business interests
• [22:45] Anecdotes about MTG’s ambitions and insecurities
• [26:49] MTG’s behavior: “animalistic,” not calculated
• [28:20] MTG and the Epstein files—sincere or strategic?
• [32:39] Likely government response if files are forced into daylight—redactions
• [36:41] The real hope is for journalism and survivors to expose the full story
• [39:03] Discussion of Republican extremism, group identity, and transgressive politics

Final Thoughts and Tone

The episode is candid, critical, and often tinged with dark humor. Both Palmeri and Blundell mix blunt, sometimes profane honesty with journalistic principle, underscoring the seriousness of abuses of power while keeping the conversation accessible and engaging.
Palmeri affirms faith in tough, independent journalism—"muckraking"—and underscores the human costs of contemporary political power plays, rooting her analysis in empathy for victims and commitment to democratic accountability.

Recommended Actions:

• Subscribe to The Red Letter (Tara Palmeri’s Substack) for investigative political reporting.
• Stay informed about grassroots protest movements and support independent journalism.
• Monitor developments regarding transparency around the Epstein files and press freedoms.