Former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger used his speech at the Democratic National Convention to express his discontent with the current state of the Republican Party, stating that “Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party” and formally endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president.
He described Trump’s influence as akin to an illness that has weakened the party, claiming it has disconnected Republicans from their core values. “His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness, sapping our strength, softening our spine, whipping us into a fever that has untethered us from our values,” he asserted.
Kinzinger, who served Illinois in Congress from 2011 to 2023, directed his remarks primarily at his fellow Republicans rather than the Democrats present at Chicago’s United Center on Thursday night.
“I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want to let my fellow Republicans in on the secret,” he said. “The Democrats are as patriotic as us. They love this country just as much as we do. And they are as eager to defend American values at home and abroad as we conservatives have ever been.”
He further commented on his party’s transformation, admitting, “The Republican Party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance. From the principles that gave it purpose, to a man whose only purpose is himself.”
Despite his criticisms, Kinzinger stated he still identifies as a Republican and was previously a critic of Trump before the January 6 Capitol attack. Following the insurrection, he was among the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial.
Kinzinger also played a significant role in the aftermath of the attack by voting to establish and participating in the select committee tasked with investigating the January 6 riot, serving alongside former Representative Liz Cheney as one of the only two Republicans on the committee.