GOP congressman says an independent Russia probe is the only way to ensure 'justice has been served'

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) announced Wednesday that he now thinks "it's time" for an "independent commission or special prosecutor" to investigate President Trump's ties to Russia. "I'm not sure the best venue. But I think it's time that we do whatever is necessary that when this is over, we give people confidence that either way, either way it goes, justice has been served," Kinzinger told CNN's Alisyn Camerota, the morning after the news broke that Trump had apparently urged former FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn resigned after it became clear he'd misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversation with a Russian ambassador.
Camerota pressed Kinzinger on whether this meant he's "lost faith" in Congress' ability to carry out a fair investigation of Trump. Kinzinger insisted he hadn't, calling Congress' continued work "really good." "But yesterday, when we begin to see memos ... when we begin to hear things about the potential of asking the FBI director to stop an investigation, this has raised real red flags in the level of seriousness," he said. "And so we need honest, non-political answers."
Watch it below. Becca Stanek
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How should you navigate debt when dating?
The Explainer Three steps you can take to ensure your credit card or student loan debt won't become a dating dealbreaker
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
'It's not hard to imagine how such an arrangement can go wrong'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Pope Francis hospitalized with 'complex' illness
Speed Read The Vatican says their leader has a respiratory infection, raising new concerns about his health
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security files
Speed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretary
Speed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffs
Speed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams case
speed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms Gabbard as intelligence chief
Speed Read The controversial former Democratic lawmaker, now Trump loyalist, was sworn in as director of national intelligence
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Putin plan Ukraine peace talks without Kyiv
Speed Read President Donald Trump spoke by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not included
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk defends DOGE effort from Oval Office
Speed Read President Trump signed an executive order giving DOGE even more power to shape the federal workforce
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge says White House defying order to spend funds
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to restore federal funding it tried to freeze
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published