AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
- Rep. Adam Kinzinger called out the "cancer in the Republican Party," adding that he and a few others are the only ones "telling the truth."
- The Illinois lawmaker announced last week that he would not seek reelection in 2022.
- Kinzinger recently launched his own political action committee called the Country First PAC.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois decried the "cancer in the Republican Party" days after he announced he will not seek reelection.
Kinzinger, who had been a target of former President Donald Trump following his vote to impeach the president after the January 6 insurrection, said in a video posted to Twitter on Friday he did not plan to run for reelection, citing toxic hyper-partisanship and warning that America is now a "poisoned country."
"You can…fight to try to tell the truth. You can fight against the cancer in the Republican Party of lies, of conspiracy, of dishonesty," Kinzinger told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
"You ultimately come to the realization that, basically, it's me, Liz Cheney, and a few others that are telling the truth, and there are about 190 people in the Republican Party that aren't going to say a word," Kinzinger continued. "There's a leader of the Republican caucus that is embracing Donald Trump with all he can."
Kinzinger recently created his own political action committee called the Country First PAC.
"There's a lot of people that feel politically homeless. There's a lot of people that feel like something has to change in our politics, and I think it's important to jump in with both feet and see where that goes, see if there's that market out there," Kinzinger told ABC News. "We're failing the American people right now, the political system is failing, and the Republicans in particular."
Kinzinger is the second of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump that has announced they will not seek reelection. Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez announced earlier this year that he wouldn't seek reelection after he faced a primary challenge from Max Miller, a former Trump aide.
Kinzinger, who critiqued his peer Republicans for their allegiance to Trump, was also drawn out of his House district in Illinois' redistricting process when his district was combined with another safe Republican district, meaning Kinzinger would have had to campaign against a GOP incumbent.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina slammed Kinzinger on Saturday and said he endorsed Kinzinger's would-be opponent, fellow Republican Rep. Darin LaHood.
"If you fight the MAGA agenda I will make it my life's mission to primary the hell out of you & throw you out of Congress," Cawthorn tweeted. "Little Adam couldn't stand up to his constituency's anger & my endorsement of his opponent."
In his announcement, Kinzinger said he's "witnessed how division is heavily rooted" in Congress.
"There is little to no desire to bridge our differences, and unity is a word we no longer use," he continued. "It's also become increasingly obvious to me that in order to break the narrative, I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide."
"This isn't the end of my political future, but the beginning," Kinzinger added.
Kinzinger, who sits on the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection and pursuing evidence from top Trump allies, reminded the public he's "still in for the next 14 months."
"I'm excited to continue on the January 6 commission to give people the truth of what happened because they deserve that," he said on Sunday.
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