Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has become an unlikely critic of the Republican leadership.

Elected to office in 2020, Greene has become one of the most controversial figures in American politics, leaving a trail of racist and antisemitic statements and unapologetically embracing conspiracy theories. But even as Greene has remained a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump’s agenda, she has shown a greater willingness in the past few months to break with her party on issues like Israel’s war in Gaza; the release of the Epstein files; and now, the fight to end the government shutdown.

It’s an apparent shift that has left many political observers scratching their heads. But Tia Mitchell, the Washington bureau chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and co-host of their Politically Georgia podcast, says if you’ve been following Marjorie Taylor Greene for as long as she has, all of this makes sense.

Below is an excerpt of Mitchell’s conversation with Today, Explained host Noel King. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.

Let’s talk about what Marjorie Taylor Greene has been up to recently. She has become one of the most interesting voices in the fight over the shutdown. Is this surprising to you?

No, it’s not surprising to me, because........

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