Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican who was first elected to Congress all the way back in 2010, sounds fed up with outgoing President Donald Trump’s post-election behavior. In a weekend Twitter post, Kinzinger characterized the behavior of Trump and his allies as “sad, and an utter scam,” fiercely criticizing the president’s insistence on pretending like there’s still any legitimate pathway whatsoever to him winning a second term in office. Recently, Trump has seemed keen to tout his supporters’ plans to protest in D.C. on January 6, when Congress meets to certify the electoral college vote outcome, and some of his supporters have pushed the idea that Vice President Mike Pence can throw out Biden electoral votes during these Congressional proceedings — but Pence “can’t reject any electors on his own,” Forbes explains.
Meanwhile, Kinzinger commented as follows:
‘All this talk about Jan 6th from @realDonaldTrump and other congressional grifters is simply explained: they will raise money and gain followers by blaming everyone else knowing full well they can’t do anything. It’s sad, and an utter scam. #restoreourgop’
My God. Trying to burn the place down on the way out because you can’t handle losing. No evidence, nothing but your temper tantrum and crazy conspiracies. Embarrassing. #RestoreOurGOP https://t.co/dck64tuxJa
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 26, 2020
All this talk about Jan 6th from @realDonaldTrump and other congressional grifters is simply explained: they will raise money and gain followers by blaming everyone else knowing full well they can’t do anything. It’s sad, and an utter scam. #restoreourgop
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 26, 2020
On Saturday morning — a little over an hour before Kinzinger posted his message — Trump shared the following angry message on Twitter:
‘The “Justice” Department and the FBI have done nothing about the 2020 Presidential Election Voter Fraud, the biggest SCAM in our nation’s history, despite overwhelming evidence. They should be ashamed. History will remember. Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th.’
The “Justice” Department and the FBI have done nothing about the 2020 Presidential Election Voter Fraud, the biggest SCAM in our nation’s history, despite overwhelming evidence. They should be ashamed. History will remember. Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
Trump has already touted his supporters’ plans to protest in D.C. on January 6, but in this instance, he may have also intended to refer to the unrest among a handful of Congressional Republicans who have said that they’re open to challenging the electoral vote results when Congress meets to certify the total. To sustain a challenge and start debate on the issue, a member of both houses of Congress has to agree to a challenge to electoral vote totals — but it’s not clear whether any Republican Senators will actually back such an effort, although Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has suggested that he’s open to the idea. In the House, Reps. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.) have already announced their intention to challenge the electoral vote totals.
No matter any support for the president’s lies among certain members of Congress, Trump’s claims that the election was rigged for Biden are false. Judges, the now former U.S. Attorney General, and a top agency at the Department of Homeland Security have all confirmed that there’s no legitimate evidence of election outcome-altering fraud.
Check out Twitter’s response to Kinzinger below:
