“Donald Trump has choked the soul of the Republican Party,” former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said in a Democratic National Convention speech endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris for president.
“His fundamental weakness spreads like a disease through my party, weakening our strength, softening our spine, driving us into a frenzy and disconnecting us from our values,” he said.
Kinzinger, who represented Illinois in Congress from 2011 to 2023, spoke Thursday night not to Democrats at the United Center in Chicago but to members of his own party.
“I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want my fellow Republicans to know the secret,” he said. “Democrats are as patriotic as we are. They love this country as much as we do. They share our conservative desire to defend American values at home and abroad.”
“I also learned something about my party. Something I couldn’t ignore,” he continued. “The Republican Party is no longer conservative. It has changed its allegiance. From the principles that gave it purpose to one whose only purpose is itself.”
Kinzinger said in his speech that he “still retains the label of being a Republican” and was a critic of Trump before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Kinzinger was one of only 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the former president’s second impeachment trial following the violent insurrection.
Kinzinger also voted to establish and serves as a member of the special commission to investigate the January 6 riots. He and former Rep. Liz Cheney are the only Republicans on the committee.
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) Chairman delivered a speech on June 23, 2022 in Washington, United States.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
“Our democracy was damaged by the events of January 6, when Donald Trump’s deception and disgrace led to the siege on the U.S. Capitol,” he said. “If a political party idolizes a man who sought to overturn a free and fair election, it How can you claim to be patriotic?”
Kinzinger, June Support Democrat Joe Biden He is not the first Republican to speak at this year’s Democratic National Convention before the president abandons his re-election bid.
Several former Trump voters and staffers spoke at the Democratic National Committee this week in support of Harris in an attempt to persuade their fellow Republicans to vote against their party and its leader.
“Democracy is nonpartisan,” Kinzinger said. “It is a living ideal that defines us as a nation. It is the bedrock that separates us from tyranny — and when that foundation fractures, we must come together to strengthen it.”
“If you believe these principles are worth defending, I urge you: Make the right choice. Vote for our fundamental values. Vote Kamala Harris.”
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