Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, insisted on Sunday that the GOP is not the “Trump 1st Party.”
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” Kinzinger formally launched a new leadership political action committee — Country 1st PAC — designed to become a financial engine to challenge Trump’s wing of the GOP caucus.
“The reality is this: This is a time to choose," he said. "And my goal in launching Country1st.com is just to say, look, let’s take a look at the last four years, how far we have come in a bad way, how backward looking we are, how much we peddle darkness and division. And that’s not the party I ever signed up for. And I think most Republicans didn’t sign up for that.”
Kinzinger took sharp aim at a picture of House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.. standing with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after their meeting last week.
“It shows that the former president is desperate to continue to look like he's leading the party," he said. "And the problem is until we push back and say this is not a Trump 1st Party, this is a Country 1st Party… until we all kind of stand up and say that, we're going to be kind of chasing our tail here in this situation.”
“That's why I launched Country1st.com,” he added. “It's a landing place for people to go through. There are a lot of folks that have texted me, called me, written that say thank you for saying something because nobody else has been.”
Kinzinger previewed the launch in a Saturday interview with reporters on a Zoom call, alternating between taking shots at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., whose QAnon conspiracy theories have drawn great attention in recent days, and being dismissive toward what he views as the weak leadership of McCarthy, the Washington Post reported.
“Republicans must say enough is enough. It’s time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and the rage,” Kinzinger says in the launch video.
On Sunday, Kinzinger called a speech by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., against fellow GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., clear evidence of something Republicans have reviled — a cancel culture.
“If you look at Matt Gaetz going to Wyoming… that’s totally GOP Cancel Culture,” he said, adding Republicans “can have a diversity of opinion.”
He added that he’d “vote [Greene] off” her committee assignment because of her past statements in support of violent retaliation against political opponents.