It’s a rare occurrence when an elected official at the federal level decides to stand against his party because they are, in no uncertain times, wrong and dangerous. Unlike people like Kevin McCarthy, who admitted Trump “bears responsibility” for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack before completely changing course, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) has stuck to his guns about his former president’s, and his party’s, lies and threats to the American people.
GOP Rep. Kinzinger Says His Party Shouldn’t Win House Majority If It’s ‘Pushing Lies’ https://t.co/N5wOQ2IAhd pic.twitter.com/hxTQwg4Or0
— Forbes (@Forbes) September 5, 2021
In a week when Rep. Madison Cawthorne said he might have to “pick up arms against a fellow American” if Donald Trump isn’t reinstated as president, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) threatened phone companies with shutdowns if they comply with legal subpoenas for phone records by the Jan. 6 investigative committee, and GOP congressman continue to spread disinformation on the deadly COVID-19 virus, Kinzinger said his party should not gain a majority in 2022 if they continue down their current path.
According to Forbes:
‘Kinzinger, asked in a CNN interview if voters should entrust his party with control of Congress, said they should not if it’s “pushing conspiracy and pushing division and pushing lies.” The Illinois congressman added that the GOP needs to “embrace truth,” have a “full reckoning” on the Capitol riot and “turn away from conspiracy” to earn that trust.’
.@Acosta said of Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Madison Cawthorn, "some members of the far-right in this country have apparently decided they will resort to intimidation, and in some cases, even violence to get what they want…Sort of like an American Taliban." pic.twitter.com/SUIHVtAB55
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 5, 2021
Although there is no elected official who hasn’t bent the truth or made statements purposefully lacking context, the GOP has embraced lies that are downright dangerous and threaten the lives of their constituents’ lives and even their colleagues’ and their own lives. In their rush to appear complicit with everything the ex-president Donald Trump says, they’ve cost lives. Winning the majority in 2022 would cause even more danger.
‘Kinzinger said in the interview it is “really bad politics” for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to threaten companies that comply with the panel’s request to preserve the phone records and data of Capitol riot defendants and others who sought to overturn the election.’
New CREW complaint filed: The Office of Congressional Ethics should investigate whether Kevin McCarthy and Marjorie Taylor Greene violated House rules by threatening to retaliate against companies that comply with legal requests for documents from the Jan. 6 select committee.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 5, 2021
Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) appear to be, at this point, the only Republicans willing to, at the very least, call out some of the more dangerous rhetoric. Kinzinger in particular pointed to statements attempting to incite violence and promote racism from members of his party in his comments.
‘He also took aim at members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus who have made similar threats and called for him to be booted from the House GOP, accusing them of “talking about things like ‘bloodshed,’” and “flirting around with white nationalism.”’
Basically, McCarthy threatened Liz Cheney & Adam Kinzinger that if either accepts an offer from Pelosi to serve, they could be kicked off their committees (unlike Matt Gaetz, who is on Judiciary attacking the FBI as it investigates him) https://t.co/vD6l2rPgv2 https://t.co/m5mV4fgtbL
— Howie Klein (@downwithtyranny) July 1, 2021
