Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is among those fed up with the affinity for far-right violence in certain Republican circles. The threat of violence is so real that local authorities in D.C. have swiftly moved to enact stark security precautions around the Capitol in preparation for a rally planned for this weekend in support of participants in the January Capitol riot. The preparations include Capitol fencing. During an appearance on CNN, Kinzinger shredded what he called an “overthrow-the-government fetish,” characterizing those who hold onto such a notion as “a lot of bored people out there that probably never served a day in their life in the military and get to go play dress-up.”
‘They are all about the overthrow of the federal government. When we talk about things like vaccines, door to door vaccines, and you have this ominous “they’re going to come jam a vaccine in your arm, and murder your family”… No, all the federal government’s talking about is, ‘Hey, if we can make it convenient for you to be healthy, let’s do that.’ Now all of a sudden these groups are like “overthrow the government.” This overthrow-the-government fetish that exists, I don’t understand it except there’s a lot of bored people out there that probably never served a day in their life in the military and get to go play dress-up.’
Far-right groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters were all connected to the Capitol riot, and the GOP at-large continues to provide the rhetorical space for these extremists to act. Speaking more broadly, Kinzinger added as follows:
‘You cannot be against the Constitution and also somehow swear to the Constitution that you’re going to protect it. It’s bullcrap… If we have to have this fence put up every time somebody that hates the federal government goes and rallies, it is time for the Republican party to denounce militia-ism.’
Kinzinger is one of two Republicans currently serving on the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, the members of which — including Kinzinger — have repeatedly pledged to uncover the truth of the circumstances surrounding that deadly violence. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump himself has yet again shown affinity for the Capitol rioters, saying in a statement this week that Americans’ “hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.” Obviously, characterizing what took place on January 6 as a mere “protest” is brazenly ridiculous, but nevertheless, Trump’s troubling, underlying acceptance of what took place seems clear.
