Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) reflected on the “changed” Republican Party and said he feels politically “probably closer to the Democrats now” and that Democrats are more likely to be on foreign policy. He claimed to be working with him.
“What struck me most about this is that what's been interesting over the last few years is that because of the way the Republican Party has been, they've now forged new alliances, almost as if they realized they were closer to the Democrats. “That has changed,” said Kinzinger, who has been a vocal critic of President-elect Trump. interview In Forbes magazine published Friday.
“The Democratic Party is now the party that protects America's role in the world and protects Ukraine, which is something I'm really passionate about,” he added.
The former congressman, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2023, spoke to Forbes about the documentary “The Last Republican,” which outlined his efforts to “remain president.” [President-elect] Donald Trump is responsible for the January 6th riot. ”
Kinzinger was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his alleged role in the January 6 attack. He was also one of two House Republicans, along with former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), to vote in favor of creating a House committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. there were. Both worked on panels.
The former Illinois congressman is critical of the modern Republican Party and has supported Vice President Harris in her unsuccessful bid for the White House.
Kinzinger said in an interview that he knew there would be violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and he had a firearm for that purpose.
“I knew there was going to be violence. I expected violence, so I went out there with a gun for the first time,” he said. , I took my gun to the Capitol. ”
While Kinzinger is unhappy with Trump's victory in the November 2024 election, he does see one advantage in the Republican candidate's victory over Harris. The idea is that the public will distance itself from the next president and his movement.
“I think the Republican Party is toast for a while. Everything is a pendulum and I honestly don't believe Trumpism will survive beyond the last four years. I'm angry that Trump won. But if we had lost, we wouldn't have been able to put an end to Trumpism,” he said in an interview.
“It could have been then, it could have been 10 years from now. The only good thing about Trump's victory is that in four years people won't want anything to do with him or his movement anymore. ”
