Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a six-term Republican congressman who represents Illinois, received a handwritten letter from 11 relatives repudiating him for his opposition to former President Donald Trump, Fox News confirmed.
“Wow, what a disappointment you are to us and to God! We were already so proud of your achievements! Instead, you go against your Christian principles and join the ‘army of the devil’ (Democrats and the false media),” letter, first reported by The New York Times, reads.
It was dated January 8, two days after protesters invaded the United States Capitol, forcing lawmakers to hide and temporarily delaying Congressional certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Kinzinger called for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from office before inauguration day, and was later one of 10 Republicans to join House Democrats in the vote to challenge him.
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Trump was finally acquitted by the Senate on Saturday, but seven Republican senators voted to condemn him.
The two-page letter continues to defend Trump as a man of Christian faith and criticizes Kinzinger for attacking the former president, allegedly saying, “You are not going to convince us otherwise with your horrible and rude accusations of President Trump! (To embrace a party who believes in abortion and socialism is the final sin.) ”
“It is now very embarrassing for us to be related to you. You embarrassed the surname Kinzinger,” continues the letter.
“We are totally disgusted with you !! And, by the way, we are asking for your removal from office,” he concludes. “President Trump has done more for the American people in four years than you, the Rhinos and Democrats have done in years !!”
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Kinzinger’s cousin Karen Otto told The New York Times that she wrote the letter, which includes signatures from 10 other relatives, and paid $ 7 to send it by registered letter to the congressman’s father. She also said that she had sent copies to Illinois Republicans and the state’s parliamentary delegation. The La Salle County GOP already censored Kinzinger last month.
“I wanted Adam to be avoided,” Otto said in an interview with the newspaper.
Kinzinger last month launched a political action committee (PAC) to oppose a leadership team and Republican House party that he says has become very close to the former president. The “Country 1st” PAC, revealed in a six-minute video, will challenge the current leadership of a Republican Party that Kinzinger claims to have mistakenly become a “Trump-first party” to the detriment of the nation.
The Illinois congressman cited the apparent reluctance of most Republicans to hold Trump accountable for his role in encouraging violence on January 6, as well as the party’s support for lawmakers like Georgia’s MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, which has drawn criticism from previous publications on social media in which she suggested support for killing Democratic politicians, baseless QAnon theories and racist views.
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Kinzinger also criticized the leadership of minority leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Who initially said after the riot that Trump is responsible for the violence. But after meeting privately with the ex-president last week in Florida, McCarthy tweeted in support: “United and ready to win in 22”. Kinzinger also cites the Republican Party’s efforts to remove Wyoming MP Liz Cheney from the leadership team because she voted to impeach Trump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.