Before the first presidential debate in Atlanta, the former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger announced, through a video on social networks, his support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as launching strong criticism of Donald Trump.
It should be noted that the representative of the state of Illinois in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2023, Kinzinger is one of the most critical voices of former President Trump. He was even one of the few elected Republican politicians who dared to criticize the assault by his supporters. to the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021.
Thus, Kinzinger spoke about the great threat that Trump continues to pose to American democracy, including his role in fueling the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol; At the same time he highlighted President Biden’s firm commitment to protecting and strengthening our democracy.
“I am a proud conservative. I have always been it. As a proud conservative, I have always put democracy and our Constitution above all else. And it is thanks to my unrestricted support for democracy that today, as a proud conservative, I support Joe Biden for re-election,” you hear him say in the video.
“Even though I don’t agree with President Biden on everything, and I never thought I would support a Democrat for president, I know that he will always protect what makes America the best country in the world: our democracy… and Donald Trump poses a direct threat to all core American values. He doesn’t care about our country. He doesn’t care about you. He only cares about himself and will hurt anyone in his search for power,” he said through a video.
As a reference, despite belonging to the Republican party, Kinzinger voted in favor of the “impeachment” of the former president, in addition, he was also part of the select committee of the House of Representatives that investigated those events in the Capitol.
Considered by Trump supporters as a traitor within his party, Kinzinger, 45, preferred to throw in the towel and not run for re-election in the last legislative elections in 2022.
Kinzinger’s rejection of Donald Trump has not been unique within the Republican Party, but a key distinction is that most of those who have expressed concern about Trump’s authoritarian tendencies are no longer in office or have announced their retirement, as was his case,
However, It is not the first time that the Republican points out the risk of a second Trump term; Already last February he said that such a context was a danger… “It is entirely possible that Trump wins the presidential election. And if Trump wins, American democracy may not survive,” he said then, as he reiterates on this occasion.
In response, throughout his campaign, Donald Trump and his allies have openly attacked Republicans who do not support him, saying that anyone who is not MAGA is not welcome in the Republican Party.
In contrast, after the announcement, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign director, Julie Chávez Rodríguez, welcomed this support.
“Our campaign is proud to have earned the support of Congressman Kinzinger, a true public servant, a model and an example for our country and our democracy above partisanship and blind support for Trump,” he stressed.
“Congressman Kinzinger represents the countless Americans that Donald Trump’s Republican Party has abandoned. “These Americans have a home in President Biden’s coalition and in our campaign, we understand that we must reach out to them and try to win their support,” said Chávez.
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