GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger calls Trump 'one of the weakest men that I've ever seen'
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) tore into former President Donald Trump Monday night, after the ex-president took offense to former President George W. Bush's criticism of domestic terrorism during a 9/11 commeration speech over the weekend.
"I mean, [Trump] proved George W.'s point as quickly and as amazingly as you can," Kinzinger told CNN's John Berman. "To anybody that's still kind of looking at Donald Trump as a standard bearer for the Republican party, this is one of the weakest men that I've ever seen."
On Monday, Trump issued a statement firing back at Bush for likening violent extremism and domestic terrorism to that which originates abroad, while suggesting both to be significant threats to the United States in their own ways. Although Bush did not specify who or what exactly he was referring to, there was speculation he was alluding to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and thus possibly a subsection of Trump supporters.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And Kinzinger, for his part, did not take Trump's possible defense of Capitol rioters or extremists well. "Somebody with strength is somebody that can take criticism, that can go out on a day like Sept. 11 and bring people together. And, you know, folks on my side like to use the term 'snowflake' when talking about people that get offended really easily — well, that's Donald Trump."
Kinzinger said he "certainly" believes Trump to be weak, for being both easily offended and a fan of punching down. "I mean, he'll attack a radio host, for goodness sakes, when he was president of the United States. That to me, at least how I grew up ... that to me was always weakness."
Watch more below:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Ultimate pasta alla NormaThe Week Recommends White miso and eggplant enrich the flavour of this classic pasta dish
-
Death in Minneapolis: a shooting dividing the USIn the Spotlight Federal response to Renee Good’s shooting suggest priority is ‘vilifying Trump’s perceived enemies rather than informing the public’
-
5 hilariously chilling cartoons about Trump’s plan to invade GreenlandCartoons Artists take on misdirection, the need for Greenland, and more
-
Trump threatens Minnesota with Insurrection ActSpeed Read The law was passed in 1807 but has rarely been used
-
Why is Trump threatening defense firms?Talking Points CEO pay and stock buybacks will be restricted
-
‘The security implications are harder still to dismiss’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge clears wind farm construction to resumeSpeed Read The Trump administration had ordered the farm shuttered in December over national security issues
-
Trump DOJ targets Fed’s Powell, drawing pushbackSpeed Read Powell called the investigation ‘unprecedented’
-
What are Donald Trump’s options in Iran?Today's Big Question Military strikes? Regime overthrow? Cyberattacks? Sanctions? How can the US help Iranian protesters?
-
Maduro’s capture: two hours that shook the worldTalking Point Evoking memories of the US assault on Panama in 1989, the manoeuvre is being described as the fastest regime change in history
-
Trump’s power grab: the start of a new world order?Talking Point Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the US president has shown that arguably power, not ‘international law’, is the ultimate guarantor of security
