Kinzinger slams Republicans over the ‘lie and conspiracy’

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who has been critical of former President Trump’s claims about the election and announced last week that he will not seek reelection, slammed Republicans on Sunday “who haven’t said a dang word” about the “lie and conspiracy” pushed by factions of the GOP.

When asked by host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” if his retirement announcement handed Trump a win, Kinzinger said it “potentially” did before criticizing Republicans who have “put their head in the sand.” 

“It’s not really handing a win as much to Donald Trump as it is to the cancerous kind of lie and conspiracy not just wing anymore but mainstream argument of the Republican Party,” Kinzinger said.

“This is not on … the 10 of us that voted to impeach. It’s not on [Rep.] Liz Cheney [R-Wyo.] and I to save the Republican Party. It’s on 190 Republicans who haven’t said a dang word about it, and they put their head in the sand and hope somebody else comes along and does something,” he added.

Trump on Friday sent out a statement that read, “2 down, 8 to go,” referring to Kinzinger’s and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez’s (R-Ohio) decisions to not seek reelection next year. Both lawmakers voted for Trump’s impeachment in January.

Kinzinger has been critical of Trump and the state of the Republican Party following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. He is now one of the two GOP members — along with Cheney — serving on the select committee investigating the attack.

Kinzinger told Stephanopoulos on Sunday that “basically” only he, Cheney and “a few others” are “telling the truth.”

“You can fight against the cancer in the Republican Party of lies, of conspiracy, of dishonesty, and you ultimately come to the realization that basically it’s me, Liz Cheney and a few others that are telling the truth, and there are about 190 people in the Republican Party that aren’t going to say a word, and there’s a leader of the Republican caucus is that embracing Donald Trump with all he can,” he added.

Kinzinger released a video announcing his retirement on Friday, which will cap off 12-year career in the House.

Updated at 10:41 to correct a quote from Kinzinger.