CNN reports:

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Sunday she will stop using “toxic” rhetoric, marking what would be a dramatic shift in a political brand hallmarked by derogatory comments.

The commitment comes amid a rift with Donald Trump that has spilled into public view, with the president attacking the Georgia Republican personally. Greene, meanwhile, has pivoted away from the Republican Party more broadly recently, criticizing the GOP on a number of fronts, including the party’s handling of the government shutdown.

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday, Greene said she worried Trump’s rhetoric toward her could lead to violence against her.

“The most hurtful thing (Trump) said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor, and that is so extremely wrong,” Greene said, “and those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.”

When pressed by Bash on why she didn’t speak out against Trump using such rhetoric until it was directed at her, Greene conceded that it was “fair criticism.”

“I would like to say, humbly, I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics; it’s very bad for our country,” Greene said. “It’s been something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated.”

Greene said she realized that she has participated in or supported heated rhetoric that has resulted in threats toward others, a point of reflection for her.

“I’m only responsible for myself and my own words and actions … and I’ve been working on this a lot lately, to put down the knives in politics,” Greene said. “I really want to just see people be kind to one another.” [Continue reading…]