Kinzinger blames McCarthy for Trump’s ‘factor,’ ‘crazy elements’ in Congress

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Rep. said. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Sunday blamed the House Minority Leader (R-Calif.) for what he called “crazy elements” in Congress and that former President Trump is “still a factor” in politics .

Kinzinger told CNN’s “State of the Union” that if he had a one-on-one conversation with McCarthy, he would tell his fellow Republican that he was “disappointed” in his leadership.

Kinzinger said McCarthy had an opportunity to tell the “truth” to the American people as a leader in Congress, but instead he went to Mar-a-Lago a few weeks after the January 6, 2021 insurrection and “revived ” Trump’s relationship with politics.

“He’s the reason Donald Trump is still one,” Kinzinger said. “He’s the reason some of the crazy elements of the Chamber still exist.”

McCarthy reportedly pleaded with Trump to stop the rioters during the attack on the Capitol, and audio from a phone call McCarthy made revealed that he criticized Trump after the insurrection. But soon after he escalated his ties to the former president, as did much of the Republican Party.

Kinzinger said he believes Trump could have been ousted as GOP leader if McCarthy hadn’t traveled to Mar-a-Lago, adding that Congress removing Trump from office following his impeachment over his role in the riots would be “huge .” He said Trump’s impeachment was down to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Senate Republicans failing to convict Trump following the House’s second impeachment against him.

But Kinzinger said that the “second” McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago, the GOP went from not knowing what to do about Trump to “pathetically” defending him.

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“Donald Trump should consider Kevin McCarthy his best friend because Donald Trump is alive today in politics because of Kevin McCarthy,” he said.

Kinzinger said the GOP will not be the future of the country unless changes are made. He said that a successful country 20 years from now will not be based on what “radicals” like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

“The only way this country can succeed is if we learn to work together,” he said.

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