WASHINGTON – Former Rep. Adam Kinzingerthe Illinois Republican who strongly rejected the then-president Donald Trump after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, supported the Democratic President Joe Biden On Wednesday, the presumptive Republican Party nominee was labeled a “direct threat to every fundamental American value.”
Kinzinger’s endorsement came a day before Biden and Trump faced off in Atlanta for their first presidential debate in 2024. And the Biden campaign hopes the endorsement will help him win over moderate Republicans, who feel alienated from Trump to win.
In a video message, Kinzinger said his life has been guided by the belief that America is a beacon of freedom. “So while I certainly don’t agree with President Biden on everything, and I never thought I would support a Democrat for president, I know he will always protect the very thing that makes America the greatest country in the world: our country . democracy,” he said.
“Donald Trump poses a direct threat to every fundamental American value,” Kinzinger continued. “He doesn’t care about our country. He doesn’t care about you. He only cares about himself, and he will hurt anyone and anything in his pursuit of power.”
In response to Kinzinger, Biden said on X: This is what it looks like when you put your country before your party. I’m grateful for your support, Adam.”
When asked to comment on Kinzinger’s support for Biden, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung responded: “Who is Adam Kinzinger? Isn’t he the crybaby?”
After the riot at the Capitol, Kinzinger was one of 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection — the former president’s second impeachment. He also voted to create a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and was subsequently appointed to the panel by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., alongside the former Capitol representative. Liz CheneyR-Wyo., another prominent “Never Trump” conservative.
Kinzinger, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran who received death threats for serving on the Jan. 6 panel, did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives in 2022.
Earlier this year, Trump attacked Kinzinger and Cheney as “two very sick Republicans” and “far worse than any Democrat who ever lived.”
In his video on Wednesday, Kinzinger directly invoked Trump’s involvement on January 6, talking about images of violence at the Capitol that day.
“Trump attacked the foundations of this nation and encouraged a violent mob of his supporters to march on the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power,” Kinzinger said.
“Now he has become even more dangerous. He calls for the ‘termination’ of the Constitution. He wants to be a dictator from day one, he actually said that. And he continues to fan the flames of political violence.”
In closing, the former congressman said, “There is too much at stake to sit on the sidelines.”
“So to every American of every political party and to those of no political party, this is not the time to quietly stand by as Donald Trump threatens America’s future,” Kinzinger said. “Now is the time to unite behind Joe Biden and remove Donald Trump from the stage once and for all.”
Kinzinger is the rare, prominent Republican who has formally endorsed Biden. Other notable Republicans who have broken with Trump and warned of the dangers of a second term have not supported the Democratic president. They include Cheney; former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who is running for Senate this fall; and the pair running together on the 2012 GOP ticket that saw the retirement of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and former Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
The Biden-Harris campaign said it hopes Kinzinger’s support will convince anti-Trump Republicans that they have “a home” with Biden. The endorsement came weeks after the Biden campaign appointed Kinzinger’s former chief of staff, Austin Weatherford, to lead Republican outreach for Biden.
“Congressman Kinzinger represents the countless Americans left behind by Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Those Americans have a home in President Biden’s coalition, and our campaign knows we must show up and earn their support,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
“Congressman Kinzinger’s support not only makes our campaign stronger – it will also better equip us to win the hearts and minds of voters who are committed to the future of our democracy and stopping Donald Trump.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
