Adam Kinzinger is facing a conservative reaction after his vote to impeach Donald Trump last month, including from his own family.
The Republican Congressman from Illinois received a hard-hitting handwritten letter from 11 members of his family, which was obtained by The New York Times and published on Monday. Kinzinger’s cousin Karen Otto was the letter’s scribe.
In the two-page letter, Kinzinger’s family said he embarrassed his name by breaking up with Trump, called Democrats “the devil’s army” and berated him for losing the respect of several conservative talk show hosts. They also accused him of falling in love with the Democratic Party’s supposed “ideals of socialism”.
“Oh my, what a disappointment you are for us and for God!” said the January 8 letter. “We have already been very proud of your achievements.”
Mike Pont / FilmMagic
“You should be very proud to have lost the respect of Lou Dobbs, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Greg Kelly, etc., and most importantly in our book, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh and us!” continued. “We should list even more complaints against you, but we decided that you are no longer worth our time to list them.”
The letter also included a postscript, which noted that many other members of the Kinzinger family feel the same way about him.
“We are completely disgusted with you!” said the letter, with the words “completely disgusted” underlined.
Newsweek contacted Kinzinger for comment. This story will be updated with any answer.
Kinzinger, who took office for the first time in 2013, is one of three House Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment in January and the removal of Georgia’s MP Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee positions. After Trump’s acquittal, Kinzinger said they “have a lot of work to do to restore the Republican Party”.
“The damage being done to the state of our republic and the values we cherish is unacceptable,” he tweeted on Saturday. “We can and must do better for the sake of our democracy and for the soul of our country.”
The damage being done to the state of our republic and the values we cherish is unacceptable. We can and must do better for the good of our democracy and for the soul of our country.
My complete statement here: https://t.co/bSCy2OJDWs
– Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) February 13, 2021
With regard to re-election after the vote to impeach Trump and oust Greene, he is not concerned about a possible reaction, despite going against his Republican colleagues. “In short, I don’t need the job. I like doing it. I would like to win again, but if I don’t, I can look in the mirror and I’m at peace.” he said on Wednesday during a Washington Post webinar.
“I looked at what happened on the 6th and said, if this is not objectionable, we might as well get rid of the impeachment, because then nothing is,” added Kinzinger. “Whatever the consequences, it is the right thing to do.”