- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said she wants to work in the private sector once she leaves the Senate.
- She described herself as "fairly libertarian" and agreed that Democrats are "anti-capitalist."
- She also joked about being "overqualified" for the presidency.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the Democratic-turned-independent senator from Arizona, says she's looking forward to a career in the private sector after she leaves the Senate in a few months.
During a panel at "The All In Summit" earlier this month, a recording of which was released on Tuesday, Sinema described the private sector as a source of innovation and progress at a time when Washington is increasingly faced with partisan gridlock.
"I'm really excited about what's happening in the private sector right now," Sinema said. "I mean, we've got industries in this country that are really pushing the edge on what's going to ensure that we're globally competitive and innovative for the future, and I'm really excited about it."
She said that will remain the case "regardless of what's happening in government" and that lawmakers are "not interested in solving problems, they're just interested in TikTok."
"There's a real opportunity to move our country forward, despite the gridlock in government, through private industry, and that's where I want to work," she said.
Jason Calacanis, one of the cohosts of the "All-In" podcast, then asked Sinema why Democrats are "so anti-capitalist."
" I don't understand because that's where the money comes from," she said. "I'm fairly libertarian, you know, just at my base. Most Arizonans are."
"I struggle with the idea of wanting to eliminate the private industry, because that is where the ideas come from," Sinema said. "That's where the innovation comes from, and that's where the money comes from to fund the social programs that are important to protect the vulnerable in our country."
During Sinema's tenure in the Senate, she has confounded Democrats with her refusal to support aspects of President Joe Biden's agenda, including the original "Build Back Better" social spending and climate bill that the party tried to pass in 2021.
She also opposed the weakening of the "filibuster," a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation — thus requiring GOP support. At the same time, the Arizona senator played a pivotal role in the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Respect for Marriage Act.
Sinema left the Democratic Party in December 2022 ahead of what seemed to be a likely reelection campaign. But over a year later, she opted to retire from the Senate amid what was shaping up to be a difficult three-way race between her, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, and Republican candidate Kari Lake.
This isn't the first time Sinema's made allusions to a cushier post-Senate career.
According to a biography of Sen. Mitt Romney, the Arizona senator once mused that she could "go on any board I want to" or "be a college president" after she leaves the Senate, arguing that she "saved the Senate" by opposing the weakening of the filibuster.