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* CNN…
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Wednesday that he doesn’t see how he can endorse his party’s nominee, Donald Trump, in the wake of the week’s events.
“I’m an American before I’m a Republican,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.” “I’m saying for me personally, how can I support that? Because he’s crossed so many red lines that a commander in chief or a candidate for commander in chief should never cross.”
Kinzinger, who has openly hesitated to embrace Trump as his party’s standard-bearer, said he went to Cleveland hoping to “at least mildly endorse the Republican front-runner.”
But in the aftermath of Trump’s comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the parents of fallen Muslim American soldier Capt. Humayun Khan, the third-term Illinois congressman said that he doesn’t “see how I get there anymore.”
“I’m a Republican because I believe that Republicanism is the best way to defend the United States of America,” Kinzinger said, adding that Trump “throws all of these Republican principles on their head.”
* More…
Kinzinger slammed Trump for not saying he honored the Khan family and instead took it as “an affront to him.” Also contributing to his ruling out a vote for Trump, Kinzinger said, was Trump’s blaming former President George W. Bush for the 9/11 attacks. […]
Kinzinger, a major in the Air National Guard, said Trump “for me is beginning to cross a lot of red lines into the unbelievable in politics. I am not going to support Hillary, but in America, we have the right to write somebody in or skip the vote, and vote for Mark Kirk in Illinois for instance, and that is what it is looking like for me today.”
“I just don’t see how I get to Donald Trump anymore.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 8:38 pm
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Well done Sen. Kinzinger, well done.
And thanks.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 8:39 pm
“I’m an American before I’m a Republican.”
Good for him. Sincerely.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 8:54 pm
Just to make it clear, Trump’s racism, anti-semitism, and sexism pass the Kinzinger test!
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:08 pm
PC, the Congressman said “Trump is beginning to cross a lot of red lines.” I don’t think Wolf Blitzer expected him to enunciate every one of them.
I respect his statement and his views. They are certainly representative of many long-time Republicans who have been abandoned in the great right turn.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:25 pm
I wish I lived in Kinzinger’s district so I could vote against him.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:25 pm
== “I’m an American before I’m a Republican,” ==
I am hearing this more and more from my friends and neighbors in a very, very Republican downstate County. Yet I am still waiting for my Congressman to make the same courageous statement you made.
Thank you.
Comment by illini Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:32 pm
If Rauner plays the victim card, Trump is going to, pardon, trump that by a factor of 100 from here on out. It is going to get really ugly very fast. The more defections from Trump, the more empowered people will become, and more and more Republicans will join in. There are no millions of dollars hanging over their heads, just very nasty speeches and tweets from His Orangeness.
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:33 pm
Adam Kinzinger has always been a wanna be insider in the Republican Party- a big Boehner and Ryan supporter.
So this is no real surprise. If Trump loses he will be part of the elites who will be smiling quite broadly. If Trump wins, well he would never be a player in that group anyway.
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:56 pm
- illini - Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 9:32 pm:
== “I’m an American before I’m a Republican,” ==
I am hearing this more and more from my friends and neighbors in a very, very Republican downstate County. Yet I am still waiting for my Congressman to make the same courageous statement you made.”
So who in the final analysis will they vote for- or will they just abstain? And how sincere are they or do they just want to sound fashionably sanctimonious.
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:01 pm
Such cynicism I read here…
Here is what’s real. Here is what is true and just…
===“I’m saying for me personally, how can I support that? Because he’s crossed so many red lines that a commander in chief or a candidate for commander in chief should never cross.”===
For the Comgressman, anyone would be hard pressed to say his observation is a skewed.
So while some want to vote against him or others look at the raw politics of it all, I read with eyes open the truth Rep. Kinzinger says is the basis for a decision that came down to being an American before a Republican.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:02 pm
@Federalist- So, again, just want to understand your point- One must vote the “party” and not their conscience?
Is that you position?
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:05 pm
PC - that has to be the douchiest comment I read all day.
At no point did he say any of that. This is the reason discourse in america has reached the low level it has.
Comment by A modest proposal Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:25 pm
@Federalist - Honestly, probably half will abstain, my guess. And the remainder will probably think long and hard before they vote but will make a principled decision based on what transpires between now and the General.
Comment by illini Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:32 pm
If Kinzinger can come to this conclusion, what’s stopping Rodney Davis?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:32 pm
Or John Shimkus??????
Comment by illini Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:40 pm
Wow, a sane Republican
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 11:08 pm
Neocon means Neo????
Comment by term limits, like ONE Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 11:47 pm
Bravo Rep. Kinzinger.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 5:57 am
It’s quite easy for Kinzinger to say such things - for if you are one of the establishment ‘haves’ Trump will deminish or eliminate your place in the hierarchy. If you are one on the disenfranchised or have not benefited from the status quo then Trump is your hero. The choice is quite clear actually and who can blame Kinzinger for his position given his place in the political system?
Comment by Faustian Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 7:14 am
Well done, Rep. Kinzinger.
Comment by Archiesmom Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 7:58 am
My phone defaulted to “Sen.”
I meant “Rep.”, and I still mean my grateful thanks too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 8:31 am
Thank you Rep Kinzingsr.
Not sure why anyone can denigrate the Rep for identifying his citizenship as a higher priority than a political party. The country has to stand before a political party can continue to exist. The nastiness thrown against the Rep for speaking his heart is part of the problem.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 8:38 am
Trump is not a Republican. Period. He hijacked the Republican Party. No Republican elected official is bound to support a pretender and usurper.
Comment by phocion Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:03 am
Maybe best to say “Trump is a con man who says a lot of things that appeal to Republicans, things that resonate with Republicans and conservatives - but he himself is not a true Republican or a conservative, because basically he’ll say anything to get himself in the news and in power.”
Semantics aside, tip of my hat to Rep. Kinzinger.
Comment by ZC Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:12 am
Good for Rep. Kinzinger and other Republicans who are backing away from Trump. Trump is a real mess. Trump’s losing now in a lot of polls, and if this continues it’s best for certain Republicans to not support him.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:16 am
“Sometimes party loyalty asks too much.” — JFK It’s good to see principle come before blind partisanship. We need more of that on both sides of the aisle.
Comment by anon Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:18 am
OK BigBrain,CommandoMakeItUpand AirmanAdam make very belated backflip away from Trump —sorta
Two questions
1. When will GoofySmile Empty Suit LaHood and Rapid Rodney join in?
2. How will they all ’splain BigBrian’s $5 million GOP GOTV binge and not promTrump?
Not enough to say ain’t for the Donald cowboys.
Good luck
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:20 am
@precinct captain:
Thank you. I agree. It seems the Republican Party can support everything you mention.
BUT when it comes to not endorsing Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell…thats where the line is drawn.
Got it.
And if a Democrat had acted the way Trump did about the Khan family. You know what would happen. For this, I appreciate Trump exposing the hypocrisy of Conservatives, albeit unwittingly.
Comment by Doug Simpson Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:25 am
@ illini - Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:32 pm:
@Federalist - Honestly, probably half will abstain, my guess. And the remainder will probably think long and hard before they vote but will make a principled decision based on what transpires between now and the General.
That is kind of what I guessed, but wanted your intake.
Comment by Federalist Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:50 am
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Aug 3, 16 @ 10:05 pm:
@Federalist- So, again, just want to understand your point- One must vote the “party” and not their conscience?
Is that you position?
Did not say that. One should always vote for what they believe. As you can easily tell from my statement it is my view that Kinzinger is more opportunistic than he is of high conscience.
Comment by Federalist Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:52 am
Kinzinger is Wolf Blitzer’s favorite Republican. If you’ve been watching you’d know he was never going to support Trump. He just needed the right time to say it. Nevertheless, I’m glad he did.
Comment by Casual observer Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 11:26 am
Good for Kinzinger. Expect more to follow his lead.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 12:11 pm
I’m waiting for Darin to make a similar statement. His Father Ray would never have stood for Trump’s Un American, racist, sexist knee jerk behavior.
Comment by Grandpa Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:51 pm
Add Jim Edgar to the list. Just watched him say it on local teevee news. “I have many reservations… “
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 6:12 pm