All posts tagged "adam kinzinger"

Ex-GOP rep says Russia 'on the verge of collapse' as Trump wades into peace talks

An ex-GOP representative and former US Air Force member has suggested Russia is "on the verge of collapse", three years after invading Ukraine.

Adam Kinzinger believes Ukraine will be able to hold out even longer against Russia, as peace talks involving president Donald Trump continue. The ex-Republican Party representative says the party is not matching up with the facts of the war in Ukraine. Russia's grip on Ukraine has loosened, according to Kinzinger, who says Vladimir Putin's military has lost 10% of the occupied territory they held after first invading.

Kinzinger said, "About a week or two into the war, Russia occupied about 30-some percent of Ukraine. Today, that number is a little over 20%. Think about that. The war kicks off, a couple weeks into it, Russia has 30-some percent of Ukraine, today that number is a little under 20."

"So Russia now occupies a significant amount of Ukraine less than they did when they kicked off the war which means, obviously, Ukraine has been able to shove them back. In that whole process, in that fight, Russia has lost probably close now to 1.1 or 1.2million men. That's casualties, killed, captured, wounded, missing. Russia now occupies less of Ukraine than it did."

Kinzinger went on to criticise the stance of Republican Party officials and the president in the negotiations. The former House representative for Illinois compared the drawn out war and lack of territorial gains Russia had seen to the Iraq War and the US invasion.

He added, "Is there a soul in the world that would say we are winning, or we were going to win? Of course not, the US would have pulled out long ago if that was the case. The world would be screaming that the greatest superpower in the world was getting crushed."

"So why is it that Russia occupies 20% of Ukraine at the cost of 1.2million men, and there's this belief among Trump and Republicans particularly that Russia is inevitably going to win? How?"

"They're getting wasted in Ukraine. It's like the old joke, Russia used to be the second biggest army in the world, now they're the second best army in Ukraine." Kinzinger went on to say that those calling Ukraine's loss "inevitable" were wrong.

He added, "Ukraine is winning this war. All a defending country has to do to win a war, is keep defending. That's it. The Russian economy has turned into a war economy. The Russian economy is on the verge of collapse, the Russian demographics are awful. The price of energy is down and Russia exists solely on her energy."

Major clue on future plans revealed by Trump's 'incapable of caring' stance: Ex-Republican

Donald Trump has been accused of "enriching himself" with a bad economy by a former Republican representative.

Adam Kinzinger, who served as the House representative for Illinois from 2011 to 2023, suggested the economic downturn was of no interest to the president. Trump was branded 'incapable of caring' about the economic hardship of Americans, as Kinzinger believes he will personally benefit — however unhealthy the economy is.

But speaking to Rick Wilson on The Lincoln Project podcast, Kinzinger said the state of the economy effectively rules out a potential run for office from Trump in future.

The former GOP member told Wilson, "Imagine you're Donald Trump and you're the deep narcissist we know he is, incapable of caring about the bigger cause. A good economy doesn't matter to you, honestly, if you're not running again, and I don't believe he is.

"If you're not running again, and if you are enriching yourself. Donald Trump is becoming richer in this. I think Donald Trump knows he's not going to run again so, to him, the idea of 'we need a good economy,' he would probably prefer to have a good economy, but he also doesn't really need it. He's doing fine."

Kinzinger suggested later in the podcast that Trump may even hope for a Democrat victory at the next U.S. election. The ex-GOP member believes Trump would see this as a victory for himself, as it would make him the "last person to get these majorities".

Economic worries are also worrying Republicans who believe Trump is more concerned with solidifying his "legacy" in office than dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. Vice President JD Vance said the party would be judged on its economic successes as early as next year, and that more would need to be done to satisfy the public.

He said, "We need to focus on the home front. The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t built in a day.

"We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond."

'Bald JD Vance meme' got me barred from US: Tourist

An internet meme making fun of Vice President JD Vance was reportedly enough probable cause for the Department of Homeland Security to deny a Norwegian tourist entry into the United States.

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posted the meme to social media, writing, "Would be a shame if this picture spread again. Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme.'"

The meme portrayed a digitally-altered version of the vice president with a bloated face, bald head, and sporting a creepy, fixed stare.

As reported in The Daily Beast, 21-year-old Mads Mikkelsen — who shares the same name as a Danish actor — told his local Norwegian newspaper Nordlys that he had arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when immigration officials stopped him for questioning.

Mikkelsen told the publication that without explanation, officers placed him in a holding cell and quizzed him “about drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism."

Agents then allegedly threatened Mikkelsen with a $5,000 fine if he didn't let them scroll through his phone. That's where they found the Vance meme plus a photo of the tourist "with a homemade wooden pipe," both of which the agents flagged.

The Norwegian said he explained that the photos were a "joke," but they still "searched him and forced him to give blood samples and document his fingerprints.“

Mikkelsen said the incident made him feel like "a terrorist suspect."

The report added that it wasn't clear if Mikkelsen "provoked immigration officials in some way. However, he did note that he was exhausted having just deplaned a long flight across the Atlantic Ocean.“

Mikkelsen said he was ushered onto a flight back to Tromsø, a Norwegian city that is north of the Arctic Circle.

The Daily Beast reported that DHS did not respond to emailed questions about the alleged incident.

Read The Daily Beast story here.

CA governor should call up remaining troops to thwart Trump: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to call up the rest of his National Guard troops in an effort to thwart President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions.

Kinzinger, who served as a former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, told CNN Tuesday about the tactic Newsom could use to tamp down Trump's "provocative" actions.

"Look, there are 4,000 now activated California National Guard — and this is an important point, and I know it's in the weeds — but once they're activated by the president against the consent of the governor, they are now federal troops. They're U.S. Army."

Kinzinger said that renders them "basically pointless" with "no law enforcement ability" unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act or the governor gives his consent.

Kinzinger continued, "And then on top of that, to deploy the U.S. Marines when you have 4,000 troops that are not being used, is simply an intimidation tactic. It's meant to either appear tough or, frankly, to stir things up...I think the governor needs to activate the rest of his National Guard, or at least consider it, is because what that does... it now puts the Guard under the control of the governor. It would force the president to then overrule the governor, which could set up, potentially, something for the Supreme Court."

Kinzinger asserted that since there's not an "overwhelming amount of protesters," the governor can activate the guard himself if protests get "out of control."

In a new Substack article, Kinzinger wrote that the "irony" of the situation "should hit everyone across the political spectrum."

"Conservatives often argue that the Guard is a modern embodiment of the constitutional 'militia'—a counterbalance to federal power. But what kind of militia can be seized by the very federal power it’s supposed to balance?" he wrote.

Watch the clip below via CNN.

People Trump once thought he controlled have turned on him: former GOP lawmaker

President Donald Trump, known for craving total control and adulation, is at a loss now that powerful people he once thought were his pawns have turned against him, argued former GOP lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

In a new article, Kinzinger wrote, "Trump is surrounded by people he once thought he controlled. And now that they’re acting with independence, he doesn’t know what to do."

"The prime example," according to Kinzinger, "is his fraying relationship with Elon Musk—the world’s richest man and, until recently, Trump’s 'First Buddy.'” Musk publicly turned on Trump's "one big beautiful bill" after being told he no longer had unfettered access to the White House.

But, Musk is just the tip of the iceberg of "disloyals," Kinzinger wrote.

" Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett—his own nominee—has committed the cardinal sin of thinking for herself," by siding with liberal justices in several key decisions, Kinzinger said.

"Then there’s Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair Trump himself picked—now branded 'a FOOL' and 'a major loser.' Why? Because Powell won’t slash interest rates to juice the economy."

"And overseas, Trump’s strongest man-crush—Vladimir Putin—is refusing to play along," Kinzinger wrote, adding, "No, Donald—Putin hasn’t changed. He’s just not taking orders."

Kinzinger claimed that far from being a strongman or a real leader, Trump is just "a man throwing a tantrum because the world won’t revolve around him. And in each case, these individuals—whether misguided or not—are proving one thing: they have agency. Trump, meanwhile, just has rage."

Kinzinger concluded that what Trump "wants—what he’s always wanted—is loyalty, submission, and applause." When that doesn't happen, he calls them names like "loser," "weak," and "crazy."

Read Adam Kinzinger's full article here.

'Bright side': Ex-GOP lawmaker says Trump's tariffs could be 'large awakening' to his base

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) released an "Emergency Video" to his Substack readers Thursday about President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs that he claimed could finally wake up even Trump's most ardent supporters.

"This will show the American people that his ideas and his thoughts on this are insane, and also his thoughts on other things are insane," Kinzinger said. "So, if there is a bright side, it's that this could be the beginning of a large awakening of his base, and generally, the American people."

On Wednesday, after the markets closed, Trump held a "liberation day" celebration in the Rose Garden to announce he was signing a “historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world.” During his speech, Trump falsely claimed that a lack of tariffs directly led to the Great Depression in 1929.

"It would have never happened if they had stayed with the tariff policy; it would have been a much different story," Trump claimed. "They tried to bring back tariffs to save our country, but it was gone. It was gone. It was too late. Nothing could have been done."

ALSO READ: 'Not much I can do': GOP senator gives up fight against Trump's tariffs

Kinzinger called Trump's action, "one of the dumbest self-owns that this country has done in a very long time."

"But here's the thing," Kinzinger said, "He's been talking about this forever. Now, MAGA gets to see. Maybe it does work. Maybe this goes against everything, any economics system, economics professor, or theorist, or anybody that's ever studied economies, or, frankly, any past history of economies. Smoot-Hawley. Maybe this goes against that, and maybe this is a miracle. That would be great! All of a sudden, everybody gets a great, high-paying job at a factory if they want it."

Kinzinger then issued a warning: "But, if it's not — if this is going to damage the economy — MAGA now owns this. Donald Trump now owns this. And the damage that's going to be done is on his hands, and we can never forget that. We can never forgive that."

Kinzinger predicted that once it appears his plans have irrevocably soured and the U.S. has plunged into a recession, "Trump's going to find some made-up reason why he's changed his mind on tariffs, and he's going to play like that was his five-dimensional chess game he's been playing all along. But it's not true. He thinks this is going to work. He really thinks...the economy's going to shine."

Watch Kinzinger's Substack video.

'Political pathogen' of Trump 'fever' may finally be breaking: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posited in a new Substack piece that the nearly decade-long fever pervading the GOP thanks to a "virus called Donald Trump" is finally showing signs of breaking.

Kinzinger described this insidious "political pathogen" as causing "a fever so disorienting that many cannot see his malevolence."

But Kinzinger wrote that the president's failure to shift the economy into high gear as he promised on the campaign trail has many voters wiping the scales from their eyes.

In recent days, stocks have see-sawed with news of Trump's massive tariffs on "friendly countries," and the price of eggs and other groceries have remained unaffordable for some average Americans.

Kinzinger quoted Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, who claimed in a recent cable news appearance, "I think what we are starting to see is the very beginning of buyer’s remorse setting in.”

ALSO READ: ‘I miss lynch mobs’: The secretary of retribution's followers are getting impatient

"Despite his claims of a sweeping mandate, Trump was elected for one primary reason: to improve the economy," Kinzinger wrote. "Yet, just two months into his presidency, a CNN poll shows that 54% of Americans believe he’s failing at this task. Alarmed by the consequences of his policies, 61% now oppose his tariff schemes, and only 46% think he is doing a good job overall."

Kinzinger cited focus groups conducted by policy analyst Rich Thau, even "moderate" Trump voters in the Great Lakes region "see the chaos in Washington, the tumbling stock market, and persistently high prices and realize this isn’t what they signed up for."

He quoted one focus group participant who lamented, “I don’t think anyone would have voted for him if they expected to see what we’re seeing now.”

Still another participant claimed she was “almost scared to watch the news.”

And Kinzinger said Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan expressed such feelings of betrayal at Trump's musings about turning Gaza into a seaside resort that it felt like "a slap in the face."

Kinzinger concluded by suggesting that those not infected by the "virus" move beyond the "'I told you so'" gloating phase to welcoming the Trump voters to a new state of political health.

Read the Substack piece here.

'It is despicable': Ex-GOP lawmaker calls Trump's latest move 'an act of desperation'

The Trump administration made the decision to cut off military aid to Ukraine because Volodymyr Zelensky wasn't meant to defeat the Russian army and humiliate Vladimir Putin, according to a new Substack by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

In fact, Kinzinger argued, Zelensky is in the process of doing the impossible -- defeating Russia -- and Donald Trump can't allow that to happen.

"As the war in Ukraine reaches its third year, it is undeniable that Ukraine is not just surviving but winning," Kinzinger wrote. "What was supposed to be a three-day war for Russia has instead turned into one of the greatest military failures of the modern era. The Russian military has suffered over 800,000 casualties—dead, wounded, and missing—gutting its combat effectiveness and forcing it into increasingly desperate tactics."

ALSO READ: 'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight

Trump suspended the aid shortly after last week's disastrous sit-down with Zelensky in which he accused the Ukrainian president of not being "grateful" enough for his help. Trump ultimately kicked Zelensky out of the White House, saying he wasn't "ready" for peace.

Putin, however, is ready for the war to stop, Kinzinger argued, and Trump wants credit for making it happen.

"The Trump administration’s decision to cut off military aid is not based on strategy or principle. It is an act of desperation," Kinzinger wrote. "Trump and his circle are watching Ukraine systematically dismantle Russia’s war machine, and they are desperate for a cease fire at any cost… Trump wants his peace prize."

Kinzinger continued, "They know that an increasing Ukrainian capacity would leave Russia in ruins and Putin humiliated. So they are trying to do the only thing they can—force Ukraine onto a more 'level playing field' by starving it of the weapons and resources it needs to finish the job. This is not just cynical. It is a betrayal of everything the United States claims to stand for. It is despicable, un-American, and a stain on our country’s reputation. It’s politics over lives, and history will not be kind."

Read the full article here.

Former GOP lawmaker marvels at 'rich irony' of outrage over Harris' snub of Vance

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) pointed out the "rich irony" Tuesday of Republican outrage over Kamala Harris' reported failure to invite the new second family for a home tour.

CBS cited anonymous sources to report, "Vice President Kamala Harris has not extended an invitation for a formal sit-down or tour" to incoming Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha.

Conservatives took to social media to slam Harris for lacking civility, which prompted Kinzinger to fume, "Today's rich irony: Harris didn't invite JD Vance to the naval observatory. So MAGA is furious. Oh by the way in 2020 Trump didn't even do a Transition."

Kinzinger concluded that hypocrisy "is a feature" of the GOP.

ALSO READ: Fox News has blood on its hands as Trump twists the knife

Kinzinger also criticized conservative commentator Tom Fitton for questioning Harris' "class."

"Your dude didn’t invite Biden in 2020 and didn’t even do a transition so honestly shut up." Kinzinger wrote.

Trump and his MAGA devotees refused to recognize Biden as the incoming president after promoting the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen. An angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop Congress from certifying Biden's win, after Trump told them to "fight like hell."

Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on J6, which was released in the wee hours of Tuesday, found that the DOJ believed Trump would have been convicted of fomenting the riot had he not won the presidency in 2024.

CBS News reported that questions about the vice presidential home from Usha Vance "were initially rebuffed by a Harris political appointee. But there has since been communication between the Vance team and Navy aides who oversee the residence. Before Christmas, Navy officials provided an overview of the house to discuss the layout of the residence, logistics and practicalities of the move-in, and to help answer any questions the Vances had, a person familiar with the call said."

Read the CBS report here.