Kinzinger: GOP’s Criticisms of CRT ‘Trying to Stoke Darkness, Fear, Division’ — ‘Really Destructive to This Country’

Wednesday on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) defended Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley’s comments in support of the study of Critical Race Theory.

Kinzinger agreed with Milley that there is “value” to understanding varying viewpoints. He argued his fellow Republicans are “trying to stoke darkness, fear, division” in criticizing the theory’s teachings.

“I think there is value in understanding different viewpoints,” Kinzinger stated.

“I think the bottom line is everything that led to that is this new kind of — well, it’s not really new, but it’s really accelerated — just trying to stoke outrage and division,” he added. “And I think you saw that with the questions were intended to basically stoke outrage and division, and I wish people would depoliticize the military. Its job is to defeat our enemies or be willing to do that. That’s the job of the military. If we want to debate all these other issues, we can debate them, but I think the military just needs to go out and do what it does. And you have so many on, I guess, on both sides, but I can be particularly critical of my side as a Republican, that are just out trying to stoke darkness, fear, division over and over because it gets you retweets, it gets you likes, you might be able to raise some money, but it’s really destructive to this country.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent

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