Ex-GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger endorses Biden for president

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) endorsed President Biden’s reelection bid Wednesday, a day before the first presidential debate against former President Trump.

In a video released Wednesday, Kinzinger said he’s a “proud conservative” but bashed Trump as a threat to American values.

“I’ve always put democracy and our Constitution above of all us. It’s because of my unwavering support for democracy that today, as a proud conservative, I’m endorsing Joe Biden for reelection,” Kinzinger said, adding that he never thought he would be endorsing a Democrat for president.

“This is what putting your country before your party looks like,” Biden replied to the video in a post on the social platform X. “I’m grateful for your endorsement, Adam.”

Kinzinger is a staunch Trump critic, and since he retired from Congress in 2022, he has gained prominence as a national commentator on CNN. The Illinois Republican served in the U.S. Air Force and flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The former congressman told CNN on Wednesday morning his decision to endorse Biden over Trump wasn’t a difficult one.

“I guess I wrestled to the extent of like, okay, you know, endorsing a Democrat as a Republican is a big deal,” he said. “But to me, it wasn’t much … I didn’t have to look in the mirror and look into my soul or anything like that.”

He added that the former president has created “a culture of just anger and division” and that he wants his child to be raised in a country where people look up to “decency in the greatest office in the land.”

“Our campaign is proud to earn the support of Congressman Kinzinger, a true public servant who is a model for putting our country and our democracy over party and blind acquiescence to Trump,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.

The endorsement is a boost for the Biden campaign’s efforts to appeal to moderate Republicans after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dropped out of the GOP primary in March. The campaign has launched ads, aiming to target Haley voters and underscore Trump’s insults toward her and her supporters to target disaffected Republicans.