Kinzinger Says ‘Profit-Driven Radio Shows’ Helped Turn GOP Into a ‘Victimized Group of People’
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) argued on Sunday that the base of the Republican party has turned into an “angry, fearful victimized group of people” and that former President Donald Trump is “a symptom” of years of past leadership and “profit-driven radio shows.”
Kinzinger said that immediately after Jan. 6, Trump was not viewed as the future of the GOP, noting that among his caucus “there was a lot of silence, a lot of discussion [about] where do we go from here?”
However, Kinzinger said, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) meeting with the former president weeks at the end of January “resurrected Donald Trump back to life.”
“That was an intentional meeting,” Kinzinger said. “That took…the paddles that you see on TV shows and resurrected Donald Trump back to life.”
“I think when history looks back, it will be Kevin’s meeting with Donald Trump which actually made him as immediate of a force as it was,” he added. “He may have come back, but I think that was a very important meeting.”
Host Chuck Todd then asked: “Did Donald Trump reveal what the Republican party is or change it?”
“I think it’s actually a little of both,” Kinzinger replied. “I think on the one hand, Donald Trump is a symptom of years and years of leaders, profit-driven radio shows, whatever, turning the base into this angry, fearful victimized group of people who are saying ‘Look, you can never get a fair shot. As time goes by, you’re going to lose more and more political power.'”
“Keep in mind, Republicans still won just about half” of the races, Kinzinger continued. “But then Donald Trump came along, and I think unintentionally — because I think he just wanted to be that guy — unintentionally got in front of a wave where people wanted somebody to blow stuff up.”
Kinzinger added that party leadership has to disrupt “this fear and anger cycle” but “they’re instead hiding.”
Todd went on to press the retiring congressman about any future political plans, given that he has announced he is not seeking reelection nor is interested in launching a gubernatorial bid.
“I think that was part of the battle is, like, do you stay in the House? Do you deal with the everyday, the kind of stupid arguments we have, that are the same and trying to get your 200 views on C-SPAN by arguing on the House floor?” Kinzinger said. “That’s an important role. I’ve done it for 12 years and I’m more passionate about the country.”
He said he is unsure what that means in terms of a possible campaign, but he is devoting his energy to his Country First PAC, which aims to defeat “toxic tribalism.”
“And it’s not even just about the Republican party, though I think it’s important,” Kinzinger said. “It’s about just restoring our ability to talk to each other and calling out the abuse that is happening of our voters every time they get that email that says send me $20, otherwise X, Y, Z, Pelosi is going to kill your family. That is abuse of our voters and they need to hear it.”
Watch above, via MSNBC
