Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) questions witnesses during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing looking into the firing of State Department Inspector General Steven Linick, on Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C., U.S., September 16, 2020.
Kevin Dietsch/Pool via REUTERS

Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger said the GOP is not a “Trump-first party” in response to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s visit to the former president’s home on Thursday. 

“The former president is desperate to continue to look like he’s leading the party. And the problem is until we push back and say, you know, this is not a Trump-first party, this is a country first party,” Kinzinger told Chuck Todd in an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday in regards to McCarthy pictured with Trump in Florida.

“In some cases, you may support Donald Trump in that effort. But in my case, I believe that that’s a whole new movement,” Kinzinger said. “Until we all kind of stand up and say that, we are going to kind of be chasing our tails here in this situation.”

Although McCarthy initially said Trump “bears responsibility” for Jan. 6 US Capitol attack, his meeting with Trump last week was regarding the party winning back Congress in 2022.

Kinzinger’s remarks come after the Republicans face turmoil within the party following Trump’s exit and the siege, Business Insider’s Tom Porter reported. Earlier this month, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of “incitement of insurrection” following the riot that resulted in multiple deaths. The trial is set to kick off the week of February 8. 

Kinzinger is one of the GOP members who decided to vote in favor to impeach the ex-president. In an interview with Insider columnist Anthony Fisher on Thursday, the lawmaker said that some of his relatives disowned him over the decision. 

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