Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger delivered a ringing endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.
Kinzinger, a congressman from Illinois who served for 12 years, is one of highest-profile members of Donald Trump’s party to endorse his Democratic opponent.
“Tonight, as a Republican speaking before you, I’m putting our country first,
because the fact is, I do belong here,” Kinzinger said. “I know Kamala Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution and democracy.”
Kinzinger was one of 11 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting a mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Kinzinger’s Republican colleagues ostracized him from the party and he retired the next year rather than seek reelection.
“I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want to let my fellow Republicans in on the secret: The Democrats are as patriotic as us. They love this country just as much as we do,” Kinzinger said, speaking to an audience that has repeatedly broken into “USA” chants this week.
“I was relieved to discover that because I’ve learned something about my party too, something I couldn’t ignore: The Republican Party is no longer conservative,” Kinzinger said. “It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man whose only purpose is himself.”
Kinzinger’s presence at the DNC reflects a concerted effort by the Harris campaign to court moderate Republican voters turned off by Trump. Other Republican speakers at the DNC included former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former Mike Pence homeland security adviser Olivia Troye and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
Trump’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 election was the catalyst for these Republicans to ditch their party’s nominee. Kinzinger called Jan. 6 “the desecration of our sacred tradition of peaceful transition of power,” a 250-year tradition tarnished by a man “too weak” to accept defeat.
“Democracy knows no party,” Kinzinger said. “It’s a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation. It’s the bedrock that separates us from tyranny, and when that foundation is fractured, we must all stand together united to strengthen it.”
