There are very few in the Republican Party who have stood up to the increasingly extreme elements that have taken over the organization. One person who can say they’ve fought back is Adam Kinzinger.
The former Illinois congressman was one of the very few elected Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, ignoring party lines and going with the overwhelming evidence. As a result of doing the right thing, Kinzinger was ostracized from the party and suffered from threats from the right, and decided not to seek re-election in 2022. Instead, he joined CNN to offer his insights into a divided America, where he often appears alongside other talking heads.
Kinzinger was by no means an overly liberal legislator. Although he showed some flexibility when it came to things like gun rights, he also voted to repeal Obamacare, and was against sanctuary cities. He held a number of other policy positions that many liberal and progressive Americans disagreed with, and was also vocal when it came to supporting certain aspects of the Trump presidency. Famously, he came out in full-throated support of the Trump administration’s killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, which a number of observers deemed to be reckless.
However, when it came to Trump’s attempted coup after losing the 2020 election, Kinzinger was steadfast in his desire to do the right thing. Although he voted with the president the vast majority of the time, he was also vocal about his dislike of the conspiracy-minded groups that had attached themselves to the Trump administration, such as QAnon. This meant it wasn’t too big a surprise when, after the storming of the Capitol, he stated that Trump had become “unmoored” from “reality itself,” adding the former Apprentice star has “abdicated his duty to protect the American people and the people’s house.”
Since then, Kinzinger has been involved in a number of anti-Trump activities, including launching the Country First PAC. This organization is dedicated to fighting far-right conspiracy theories in the Republican party, and to neuter the influence of MAGA on conservative America. In 2022, Country First supported a number of candidates who were up against election deniers, including Democrats and Independents. They will continue to support anti-Trump candidates this election, too.
Between his work with Country First and CNN, Kinzinger has also been raising awareness about the dangers of an increasingly deranged Republican party via speeches and events. Most recently, he spoke at the DNC, crossing the aisle in one of the most dramatic ways possible.