Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who was once among president Donald Trump’s strongest allies in Congress before their relationship fell apart, will resign from Congress in January.

Her last day in the US House will be on January 5th, she said in a social media post on X Friday.

Greene was among the Republicans who led the legislative effort to compel the Justice Department to release the files of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Her efforts led to a public fallout with Mr Trump who called her a traitor and said that he would support the “right person” to run against her in next year’s midterm elections.

“I have too much self-respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms,” Ms Greene wrote.

Democrats who previously called Ms Greene racist and anti-Semitic found common cause with her on the Epstein matter. Aside from that, Ms Greene has criticised Mr Trump for focusing his attentions abroad, a departure from his America First base.

Ms Greene’s district in northwest Georgia is a Republican stronghold. However, her departure from the House will thin the GOP’s already narrow majority with just weeks before speaker Mike Johnson will need to pass another Bill to fund government operations. The House is split 219 to 213 with three vacancies.

In her post, Ms Greene said she refused to be a “battered wife” hoping the situation will improve and that she will “look forward to a new path ahead”. – Bloomberg