Kinzinger Puts McCarthy On Blast: He Should ‘Assert Some Influence’ Over GOP ‘Batsh*ttery’

On Friday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) tweeted at his party’s leader in the House and called on him to “assert some influence” over the “batshittery” occurring in the Republican caucus.

Kinzinger has been something of a nuisance for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The outspoken congressman has repeatedly denounced Donald Trump, and bucked his party by voting with just nine other Republicans to impeach him in January for incitement to insurrection. Recently, some Republican members of the House have made headlines for all the wrong reasons, and Kinzinger expressed his displeasure on Twitter.

Some GOP are: 1) pushing FBI conspiracies on Jan 6, 2) comparing the 2nd amendment to Vietnam and the VC, 3) scared of shaking the hands of police defending them, 4) opposing Juneteenth, 5) so much more batshittery. Would be a great time for @GOPLeader to assert some influence

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) June 18, 2021

Although he did not name names, each of Kinzinger’s complaints can be tied to at least one particular House Republican. According to a theory first floated by the fringe website Revolver and amplified by Tucker Carlson, the FBI was involved in perpetrating the Capitol insurrection. During a floor speech on Thursday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) suggested that this unsubstantiated rumor had merit, and asked, “What kind of role were they playing?”

Kinzinger’s reference to the Second Amendment and Vietnam is unmistakably an allusion to Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), who on Wednesday suggested that the U.S. military’s defeat in the Vietnam war showed that citizens with small arms in the United States would be able to overthrow a tyrannical government. “Ask the Viet Cong how they handled the Marines and the Army in Vietnam,” he said.

Kinzinger’s third gripe is another clear shot at an unnamed, albeit specific Republican. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) has claimed the Capitol riot actually looked like “a normal tourist visit.” When approached on Wednesday by D.C. Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone – who was beaten, tased, and suffered a heart attack on January 6 – Clyde refused to shake Fanone’s hand and “ran as quickly as he could like a coward,” according to Fanone.

As for opposition to Juneteenth, 14 House Republicans voted against the bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. The observance commemorates the Union army’s announcement in Texas that informed slaves there the Civil War had ended and that slavery had been abolished. The House still overwhelmingly approved the bill after the Senate passed it unanimously. It was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.