Republican Adam Kinzinger described GOP as ‘Anonymous,’ Trump says ‘Basically Insane’

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Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, described the modern-day GOP as “unrecognizable” and said its current leader — former President Donald Trump — is “really mad.”

Kinzinger became one of Trump’s fiercest critics after the 2020 presidential election and the January 6, 2021 attack targeting the U.S. Capitol. Although the GOP congressman said he voted for Trump in 2020, he has repeatedly criticized the former president for spreading lies about the election results and urging his supporters to carry out the attack. against the legislative branch of government over the past year.

In a Friday afternoon interview on MSNBC, Kinzinger was asked if he recognized his political party a year after the violent pro-Trump attack on the Capitol.

“No, I don’t,” he replied. The Republican lawmaker said he has known the GOP since he was six years old. “What has changed is the use of conspiracy, the absolute lack of courage to call it that, the fear that pervades Republican Party leaders against someone. [Trump] really insane, ”he said.

Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) said Friday that the GOP has become “unrecognizable” in the past year. Above, he questioned witnesses in the House select committee investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack against the U.S. Capitol on July 27, 2021. ANDREW HARNIK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“You know, sending press releases from Mar-a-Lago,” Kinzinger continued. “It’s unrecognizable, and it’s sad because the Republican Party will exist, and it’s a major political party in the United States. We also need conservative voices there.”

The GOP congressman lamented that his party has “lost, in many people’s minds, any credibility.” Kinzinger said it will take “a lot of time to get it back.”

Kinzinger was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump — along with House Democrats — for urging his supporters to attack the Capitol. The violent mob carried out the attack after Trump told them at a nearby rally to march toward the legislative building and “fight like hell” to save their country. They were further animated by his claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” in favor of President Joe Biden.

Although Trump and many of his allies continue to push the claims, no evidence has emerged to substantiate them. In fact, dozens of election challenges filed by the former president and his supporters have failed in state and federal courts. Even the judges appointed by Trump have ruled against legal challenges.

Audits and narratives across the country — including the states where pro-Trump Republicans oversaw the election and further analyzes — reaffirmed Biden’s victory. Meanwhile, former Trump administration officials and prominent Republicans who supported him explained that there was “no evidence” to support the baseless claim of widespread voter fraud leading to his disappearance.

Despite this, polling data has repeatedly shown claims that address the majority of GOP voters. Meanwhile, a majority of Republican lawmakers in Congress have given credence to the claims or refused to call them baseless.

Kinzinger, along with GOP Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, was one of two Republicans serving on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Cheney, like Kinzinger, continues to be condemned Trump and fellow Republicans who continue to support him. Although Kinzinger decided not to be re -elected, Cheney faces a major challenger endorsed by Trump before the 2022 midterms.

As the country commemorates its one-year anniversary Jan. 6 this week, tensions within the Republican Party over the attack are fully reflected in a wide variety of statements shared by GOP lawmakers. While some — like Kinzinger and Cheney — condemned Trump and the violence that day, others defended the former president and attacked Democrats for focusing on last year’s events. Many GOP lawmakers said nothing, while others condemned the violence but did not mention the connection to Trump.

Trump reiterated the conspiracy theory that the election was “deceived” in favor of Biden, issuing a series of statements on Thursday. In an interview with right-wing network OAN this week, he complained that the media did not speak enough about the large crowd at the rally he spoke to before the attack.

“Nobody shows pictures of that,” he lamented.

Newsweek reached out to Trump’s press office for comment.

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