Adam Kinzinger Suspects Colleagues Were ‘Involved in Nurturing’ Capitol Riot: ‘I Saw the Threats’
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) suspects that some of his own colleagues could have been “involved” in fomenting the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and says he was so concerned that he brought a gun with him to Congress that day.
Kinzinger gave an extensive interview to The New York Times Magazine, speaking broadly about his support for further investigation into the violent attempt by former President Donald Trump’s supporters to overturn the 2020 election. Kinzinger rejected attempts by his fellow Republicans to downplay the insurrection, and told interviewer David Marchese, “I also want to know what members of Congress knew and were involved prior to this happening.”
“Do you suspect that some members of Congress were aware of what was going to happen that day and supported it?” Marchese asked.
“I won’t name names, but yes, I do have that suspicion,” Kinzinger answered. “I will say, if you just looked at Twitter — the whole reason I brought my gun and kept my staff home and told my wife to stay in the apartment was looking at Twitter. I saw the threats.”
Kinzinger went on to call out Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), one of the bigger Trump boosters currently in Congress, who has drawn scrutiny for consorting with Capitol rioters and has been accused of fomenting the insurrection before. Kinzinger said he was calling Boebert out specifically because of a tweet she sent out the day of the riot:
Today is 1776.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) January 6, 2021
“I don’t know what that meant other than this is the time for revolution,” Kinzinger said. “Maybe it was a dumb tweet that she didn’t mean. Fine. I’ll give her that credit for now. But if you have members of Congress who were involved in nurturing an insurrection, heck yeah, we need to know.”
Kinzinger also slammed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for his political opportunism and role in the GOP’s “capitulation” to Trump. Kinzinger also blasted “performative” politicians like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), saying “I give her credit for probably achieving what she intended to achieve, which is: I don’t care about the damage I’m doing; I want to be famous and raise money. Congratulations. That’s not a serious legislator.”
