• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene admits Trump’s tariff implementation has been “bumpy” in candid interview with comedian Tim Dillon
• Georgia Republican says manufacturing companies support president’s goals but struggle obtaining supplies due to trade restrictions
• MAGA firebrand criticizes Trump for prioritizing crypto and AI donors over rally attendees suffering from rising costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — One of President Donald Trump’s most loyal congressional allies is publicly acknowledging what many businesses have been saying privately: the administration’s aggressive trade agenda is causing serious problems for American manufacturers. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pulled no punches in a weekend podcast appearance, describing the rollout as “bumpy” while questioning whether Trump is serving the voters who elected him.

“I do appreciate the president’s efforts. He’s trying to end wars. He’s also trying to make it fair again for American trade,” Greene said on “The Tim Dillon Show” released Saturday. “But at the same time, that’s getting — that is bumpy. It’s bumpy.”

The Georgia Republican’s unusually frank assessment marks a significant break from typical MAGA orthodoxy, where criticism of Trump remains rare even as his policies create economic turbulence. Greene’s willingness to speak out has already sparked backlash from some corners of the conservative movement, with critics calling her a “sellout fraud.”

Manufacturing concerns mount

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Greene revealed she’s been hearing directly from major manufacturing companies struggling under Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, which has raised average U.S. tariff rates from 2.5% to an estimated 27% — the highest level in over a century. “I’m talking to major manufacturing companies and they are saying we’re having a problem with these tariffs,” Greene explained. “We can’t get supplies from this country, and we can’t get supplies for this country.”

The congresswoman’s concerns reflect broader economic data showing manufacturing employment has actually declined by 42,000 jobs since Trump’s April “Liberation Day” tariff announcement. Companies face increased costs for raw materials like steel and aluminum, with tariffs on those metals jumping from 25% to 50% in June. The Tax Foundation estimates the tariffs amount to an average tax increase of nearly $1,300 per U.S. household in 2025.

Has regular people’s stress come off? No. That should be the focus.

While Trump claims his tariffs will reshore manufacturing and create well-paying jobs, economists warn the disruption may cause more harm than good. The highly integrated North American auto supply chain, built over decades of free trade agreements, has been particularly hard hit by tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Focus on the wrong donors?

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Greene didn’t limit her criticism to trade policy. The congresswoman, who co-owns Taylor Commercial construction company in Georgia, suggested Trump has lost sight of the working-class voters who propelled him to victory. “Has regular people’s bank accounts been affected? Has the stress come off?” she asked rhetorically. “No, that has not happened yet and that needs to be the major focus.”

The MAGA firebrand specifically called out Trump for catering to wealthy tech and cryptocurrency donors rather than the rally attendees who stood “for freakin’ 18 hours trying to get in the rain, in the cold, in the 100-degree heat.” “It shouldn’t be helping your crypto donors, or your AI donors, or welcoming in these people that hated you and spent money to try to beat you,” Greene said, “but all of a sudden are excited to come out to the new Rose Garden patio.”

Her comments come after Greene faced scrutiny for well-timed stock purchases made the day before and day of Trump’s April announcement that he was pausing certain tariffs, a move that sent markets soaring. She bought between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks on those days while dumping up to $100,000 in Treasury bills, according to required public disclosures.

Immigration criticism compounds concerns

Greene’s tariff criticism isn’t her only recent break with Trump orthodoxy. She also told Dillon that the administration’s mass deportation efforts have gone too far, warning about devastating impacts on farming, hospitality and construction sectors. “As a conservative and as a business owner in the construction industry, and as a realist, I can say we have to do something about labor,” she said.

The congresswoman has also criticized Israel’s Gaza war, demanded release of Jeffrey Epstein files, and opposed Republican healthcare premium increases this month. Her mounting dissent has left some in the GOP exasperated, though Greene insists she’s simply being pragmatic rather than blindly loyal.

“I’m not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don’t think anyone should be,” she told NBC News. When supporters defended her stance on social media, Greene responded: “Yesss. Apparently hard for the average social media cultists to understand.”

Tariff uncertainty continues

The legal status of Trump’s tariffs remains in flux. A federal appeals court allowed them to remain in effect while the case proceeds, with the Supreme Court scheduled to consider their legality in November. A lower court had ruled the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal, though that decision was stayed pending appeal.

Manufacturing executives warn that this policy uncertainty makes long-term investment decisions nearly impossible. Reshoring supply chains isn’t an overnight process but rather takes years of sustained commitment — something difficult to achieve when tariff rates fluctuate unpredictably and face potential court challenges.

When even Trump’s staunchest allies question his economic agenda, should Republicans reconsider whether tariffs serve working-class voters or create more problems than they solve?

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