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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San Francisco
Under the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climate
The explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teens
The Week Recommends Social media is pushing overly elaborate routines for young skin
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders