Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said Tuesday on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” that lawmakers need to be honest and tell voters President Joe Biden won the 2020 election to ensure there is another election.
Kinzinger said, “I think we’ve forgotten the art of leadership or how to lead. Leadership isn’t always figuring out who the polls say and doing whatever we need to do to get elected. It’s sometimes leading out in dark moments, calling out things like QAnon, or saying the idea of an election being stolen is false. It’s not real. It’s difficult to say that because you’re going to have to take some immediate blowback, but this lesson from this, which is a painful and tragic and costly lesson is, if you continue the not tell people the truth, they eventually believe totally off the wall things and will find themselves being motivated to go into, as an example, the United States Capitol.”
Discussing the possibly having to fight off rioters at the Capitol, Kinzinger said, “I never would have imagined having to do it here. There was a period of about a half-hour where, you know, I thought the whole place had been breached, and you know that I was going to have to do that. Thankfully the officers fought, some to the end of their life. Two, you know, took their own lives in the aftermath of this but defended democracy and fought this mob and did so honorably. Because democracy is not just worth defending for them. Brian Sicknick found it worthy to give his life for. We have people that sit around and are scared to give their career for the same cause. I’m not sitting here saying everybody has to be a hero at all times, but something basic like doing the right thing or telling your constituents the truth should be the really basic part of a job.”
He added, “We have to remember where we came from, and we have to remember how the lead and be honest. We need a healthy Democratic Party and Republican Party. But where we’re at now, this isn’t just about winning the next election, because honestly, if we continue down this path, there’s not going to really be a next election because the whole thing is going to implode. It’s a wake-up call for some. I hope there are some being quiet and will stand up soon. It’s about painting an optimistic notion. The base voter loves their country and believe Donald Trump was the person to lead the country. We all need to step back. Look at what happened in the Capitol, look at the lies that were told. We need the say we can still hold our principles. We deserve better truth and honesty to people.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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