GOP Rep. Kinzinger: It's Time to Denounce QAnon

As QAnon conspiracy theories "make it into the mainstream," leaders need to start denouncing it, according to Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.

"I haven't addressed it for a while, but it's started to make it into the mainstream, and now is when it's important for leaders to come out and push back on it, because it's already had the attention, frankly, it doesn't deserve," Kinzinger told CNN's "Reliable Sources."

Kinzinger's push comes from a perspective of understanding "good" and the differences in people while respecting it in an effort to get to reality.

"If anybody buys into a conspiracy theory, whether it's on the far left, far right — we never landed on the moon, whatever it is — it's out of an interest of, 'if only the truth is known, life would be better for me and other people,'" he added to host Brian Stelter. "So, everybody thinks they're the good guy. Everybody wants to do right. And I think understanding humanity from that perspective and then engaging them in that perspective through love and understanding is far different.

"You're never going to offend somebody onto your side. You're never going to offend somebody away from something they believe. In fact, it emboldens them. I think it's understanding that they're still human."

Kinzinger stresses before sharing other's conspiracy theories, people should do some digging for themselves.

"If you believe in this conspiracy theory stuff, especially QAnon, do some independent research," he added.

"There's a lot of stuff debunking it, including all the predictions that didn't come true, and now the new Q stuff reads basically like a tarot card reader that gives you something so vague that will absolutely fit into something that will happen in the next months."

In the end, each party has to denounce conspiracy theories in their own party, he concluded.

"The president hasn't fully denounced it or denounced it at all," he said. "Now it's time for leaders to come out and denounce it. The key isn't Democrats denouncing it, it's Republicans denouncing it. Democrats and Republicans have to denounce extremism in their own party, because that's where it's effective. It's not effective from the other side denouncing it. It emboldens them."