U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger sizes up the Republican Party

Posted on May 11, 2021
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) spoke virtually to the National Press Club. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The most talked about Republican in Illinois talks about today’s GOP.

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon), a pariah to some for denouncing now former President Donald Trump, says he doesn’t fit in a little box.

“The truth is, I am way more conservative than probably some of my folks out there that think I am a RINO – which is Republican in Name Only – which is ironic since I was a Republican before Donald Trump was,” Kinzinger told a National Press Club audience.

“But it’s interesting, because I think what has happened in the Republican Party is that policy has been replaced by personal grievance and by culture war,”

Kinzinger says old-line Republicans can’t find a seat on the GOP train of today …

“At some point in the future, the party will kind of return to its roots, because it has to, or its going to die. It’s one of the two. Parties have to represent half the country, so it will naturally kind of move around a little bit.”

And Kinzinger will be supporting U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as House Republicans vote whether to dump her from caucus leadership.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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