Republican lawmaker breaks with Trump over support for Iran protesters

US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, has criticised President Donald Trump’s stated readiness to support protesters in Iran, saying the approach runs counter to what his voters expected.

According to Caliber.Az, in her statement on the social media platform X, Greene wrote:

“An Israeli cybersecurity billionaire demanding to take away Americans guaranteed First Amendment Free Speech and President Trump threatening war and sending in troops to Iran is everything we voted against in ‘24. Trump voters spent the week threatening a tax revolt because they are so furious about the never ending waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard earned money going to foreigners and foreign wars. The focus should be on tax dollars here at home and defending our God given freedoms and rights.”

An Israeli cybersecurity billionaire demanding to take away Americans guaranteed First Amendment Free Speech and President Trump threatening war and sending in troops to Iran is everything we voted against in ‘24.
Trump voters spent the week threatening a tax revolt because they… https://t.co/AD2n3t7mFV pic.twitter.com/n5uI9jfdKg

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 2, 2026

Her comments followed statements by Trump on January 2, when the US president said Washington was prepared to support protesters in Iran if authorities resort to violence against peaceful demonstrators. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said that if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, as he claimed it routinely does, the United States would intervene.

“We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.

The latest wave of protests in Iran began in late December 2025 after the national currency fell to record lows and inflation surged. The economic shock prompted shopkeepers and traders to shut their businesses and stage protests in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and other cities, driven by mounting cost-of-living pressures.

Economic hardship remains at the heart of the unrest, rooted in decades of sanctions, government mismanagement, and structural corruption that have weakened the economy, eroded living standards, and undermined public trust in Iran’s leadership.

The protests have since expanded both geographically and socially, with students and other groups joining demonstrations in major urban centres, while calls have grown beyond economic relief to include broader demands for political change and accountability.

By Tamilla Hasanova