Adam Kinzinger is remaining active in the rhetorical fight against extremism like that exemplified in the public words and actions of Donald Trump, who recently gave a headlining speech at the latest installment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in which he doubled down on basically everything he’s doing.
Doubling down is, of course, what’s to be expected at this point — but Republicans in other positions of leadership, like House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), still have an opportunity to push back in some substantive way on what Trump is doing. Kevin could release a statement or offer criticism at a press conference. He could support candidates — financially (through fundraising operations) or otherwise — that represent a more levelheaded approach to politics instead of an embrace of extremism of the sort that fueled the attack on the Capitol. Instead, he’s sticking to the Trump line.
Kinzinger, the former GOP Congressman from Illinois who was among the few Republicans in elected office, at least on the national level, willing to publicly break with Trump on just about anything, replied on Twitter to a clip of Trump at CPAC insisting on a break with prominent Republican figures of years past, like Paul Ryan. It further exemplifies, of course, Trump’s self-obsession and insistence on others accepting that obsession if they’re sticking by him. “Sell your soul to me or lose your job…” Kinzinger opined, discussing what Trump was saying. “Those who think Trump will organically go away are wrong. Speak out or own the damage you are doing to your country. @SpeakerMcCarthy @EliseStefanik” Stefanik is the New York Republican who took over the spot in party leadership among House Republicans formerly held by Liz Cheney, who’s left office.
It’s not just McCarthy. Republicans like Reps. James Comer (Ky.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) have also gotten behind a proposal that would put restrictions on federal authorities getting in touch with private entities like Twitter about content on their platforms. While the measure is designed to address the theatrical outrage from figures like Trump about supposed suppression of reporting on claimed corruption around Hunter Biden, if actually made law it could also threaten efforts to either provide or gather details about foreign misinformation or domestic extremism spreading somewhere like Twitter.
Sell your soul to me or lose your job…
Those who think Trump will organically go away are wrong. Speak out or own the damage you are doing to your country. @SpeakerMcCarthy @EliseStefanik https://t.co/VpeO6rv402
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) March 6, 2023
