Kinzinger on GOP ovation for Greene: ‘Disappointing by a factor of 1,000’

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said early Thursday that it was “disappointing by a factor of 1,000” to see Republican colleagues give Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) a standing ovation after she apologized for her past controversial remarks. 

“I don’t like to reveal a ton of conference details, but she stood up and kind of gave a bit of contriteness, but then it pivoted to ‘they’re coming after you next,’” Kinzinger said on CNN’s “New Day,” referring to a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting late Wednesday.

“Obviously I had a huge problem with all of that, but the ‘they,’ being the Democrats, I think if you’re not buying into Jewish space lasers and false flag operations and QAnon stuff, to think that they’re just going to come after you next, I think is way a bridge too far,” he said, adding that it “was disappointing by a factor of 1,000” to see fellow Republicans’ response.

JUST NOW: “I didn’t hear an apology personally. “

GOP @RepKinzinger on the speech made by @mtgreenee last night.@NewDay pic.twitter.com/NhcLCIpnVP

— John Berman (@JohnBerman) February 4, 2021

Greene told her fellow lawmakers during the meeting that she made a mistake about being curious about “Q.” Multiple outlets have uncovered remarks by Greene promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that Democrats and Hollywood are running an international child sex peddling operation.

She has also faced backlash over multiple reports that she has argued that school shootings were staged to win support for gun control, suggested that California’s wildfires were caused by a space laser linked to California utility PG&E and the Rothschilds, and more.

House lawmakers will vote Thursday on legislation stripping Greene of her committee spots.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who met with Greene earlier this week, said prior to the House GOP conference meeting that he did not want to remove her from her committees.  

Kinzinger on Thursday told CNN that he will vote for the legislation to remove Greene from her committee assignments unless “she comes out and publicly shows that she has moved on.”

“I wish this vote on the floor today to remove her committees was something that we didn’t have to do because it would have been done by our side,” Kinzinger said. “But to see her come out of this in a strong position was crazy.”