'Trump was trembling with rage': Ex-GOP lawmaker says President made a 'revealing' mistake

Donald Trump made a "revealing" error when he attempted to revoke security clearances from his political enemies, a former Republican lawmaker said Saturday.

Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a retired Republican who served on the Jan. 6 committee, said he was enjoying a barbecue with friends when he heard that his security clearance had been revoked.

But there was a problem, according to the former congressman.

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"While I was enjoying the company of friends, Trump was trembling with rage," Kinzinger wrote on Substack. "Well, it looks like Donald Trump has done it again—another petty, performative move designed to punish his perceived enemies, regardless of reality. Reports are circulating that he’s decided to revoke my security clearance. The only problem? I don’t have one."

Kinzinger continued, saying, "I retired from the military a year ago. When I stepped away from Congress, I left behind the clearances that came with those roles. Yet, in Trump’s world—where bluster replaces policy, and revenge trumps reason—facts don’t matter."

"Revoking a clearance I don’t even have is laughable, but it’s also revealing," he added. "This is how a wannabe strongman operates—by targeting political enemies, real or imagined, with no regard for legitimacy. He’s testing the waters, seeing how much control he can exert over institutions designed to serve the people, not his personal vendettas."

Kinzinger also told his readers about what he considers to be the "bigger picture."

"If he’s willing to abuse power this blatantly over something so trivial, imagine what he’ll do next. Imagine what happens when his enemies list includes judges, journalists, or everyday Americans who simply refuse to go along," according to Kinzinger. "Trump’s threats don’t scare me. His insults don’t silence me. If anything, this latest stunt only proves what we’ve all known for years—he’s more focused on punishing critics than protecting the country."

Read the full essay here.