‘They’re Going to Try to Fight and Kill Me’: Adam Kinzinger Reflects on Pulling Out His Gun to Defend Himself From Capitol Rioters

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) is recounting the stunning measures he took to defend himself during the storming of the U.S. Capitol, including how he was prepared to use his gun on anyone who broke into his office.

The outgoing representative gave a broad-range interview to S.E. Cupp for Rolling Stone, where he expanded on his decision to leave Congress, and he also lamented the state of the Republican Party under former President Donald Trump. In one part of the conversation, Kinzinger was asked to look back on January 6th, and he said “I knew there was going to be violence” that day.

“I didn’t necessarily know they were going to sack the Capitol, but I knew there was going to be violence,” the congressman said. “In fact, I warned [House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy two days prior to it. And he was very dismissive of it, of course.”

Kinzinger went on to say that he told his staff to stay home that day, and he was increasingly alarmed as he watched the “Stop the Steal” rally which turned into the insurrectionist mob that violently invaded the Capitol.

So I went down for the opening of the certification. And then I left, pretty much when the proceedings started, and then spent basically the next six hours in my office, hunkered down, with my gun out, prepared to defend against my own party.

When asked if he felt any fear that day, Kinzinger spoke about how he barricaded himself in the office because he knew that people were making threats against him on social media.

“People know where my office is,” he said. “So I barricaded myself in here, thinking, “If this is as bad as it seems, they may end up at my office, breaking this crap down, and I may have to do what I can.”

Eventually, Cupp asked Kinzinger to clarify that he was thinking about firing a gun on the mob that day. His answer:

Yeah, I thought about it. If you’re already at a point where you’re beating down police officers, and you’re willing to sack the US Capitol, which hadn’t been done in hundreds of years, if you come face-to-face with Chief RINO in his office, who doesn’t believe that Donald Trump won re-election, yeah, they’re going to try to fight and kill me, and I’m not going to let that happen.

In the months following the Capitol riot, Kinzinger has been one of the most outspoken Republicans condemning the riot and the party leaders who keep cozying up to Trump despite his role in fomenting the violent episode. Interestingly, his comments about possibly shooting the rioters comes shortly after an extensive Washington Post investigation reported that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also wanted law enforcement to use guns against the mob.