Firing Line: Adam Kinzinger

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) talked about the future of the Republican Party and how to protect it from conspiracy theories.

On January 6th, just before the capital riots began, he brought his gun into his office with him. He told his staff to say home and his wife stay in a hotel. He typically did not bring a gun into his office, but brought it today out of fear.

“I remember just opening my window behind me and hearing flash bangs, non-lethal weapons, etcetera, and knowing this was bad,” he said.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi brought in a bi-partisan 9/11 style commission to investigate the events on January 6th. Kinzinger completely supported this decision, as he believed the events that had happened were unacceptable. He believed that there needed to be answers.

When comparing this to the riots over the summer, he said that there was no comparison. Unlike the riots, that this “was a direct attack on democracy.”

“You can have riots in the city and not threaten to overthrow the government of the United States,” he said.

A lot of these issues stemmed from conspiracy theories that were affecting the Republican Party. He said that as a kid, the Party believed in hope and opportunity. Although this was still the case, inn the long term, it will become a party that will rely on conspiracy theories if nothing is done.

Although he is doing his best to confront and educate his constituents on conspiracy theories, he believes that every American also is responsible to do their own research.

“Every American has a responsibility to basically determine what they’re hearing, what they’re reading, what they’re believing, and do some of their own research.”