A frequent target of Donald Trump on Independence Day highlighted a worrying observation about MAGA.
Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger, one of the two Republicans who served on the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, published a piece on Substack called, "No Kings: What the Fourth of July Really Means."
In the article, the ex-GOP congressman argues that "Trump’s MAGA movement wants monarchy—but true patriots honor the Declaration’s call for equality and self-government."
According to Kinzinger, "Trump has long coveted the very royal power that the colonists rebelled against."
"During the 2024 campaign, he mused openly about using the military against political opponents—citizens whose views supposedly make them 'enemies of the people,'" he wrote before flagging the worrying reaction.
"In February, he posted a message about himself that read, 'LONG LIVE THE KING!' Some Republicans pushed back, but in MAGA circles, it was met with cheers," the conservative wrote. "On June 14th, at his military-style parade, Trump supporters stood near the White House holding signs that read: 'Trump for King.'"
Kinzinger goes on to say those who oppose MAGA shouldn't just brush off the threat of Trump.
"It’s easy to laugh off the spectacle. But we shouldn’t," he wrote Friday. "MAGA loyalists not only idolize the man—they ignore the grievances that led to the American Revolution. The Declaration condemned Britain’s use of troops against civilians, its restrictions on trade, its control of the courts, and its interference with immigration and naturalization. Sound familiar?"
He also issued a warning about the Supreme Court:
"The Trump-dominated Supreme Court now issues decisions that expand his powers—sometimes even at the expense of their own. His sweeping crackdown on immigration is harming local economies. And his trade war policies, cloaked in nationalist rhetoric, are undermining American businesses and global leadership."