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  • 2 years ago
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who left Congress in 2023, praised President Biden for welcoming all voters regardless of party affiliation.

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Transcript
00:00By the way, you were one of my she was one of my very first people to interview me when
00:12I was a candidate in 2009. Remember that? Okay, so I just thought I'd mention that.
00:19Look, I think what does the campaign need to do? I think they're doing it. I've been
00:23very impressed that the Biden campaign has recognized that there are gettable Republicans
00:28out there, that it doesn't mean that Joe Biden has to become somebody he's not to get
00:33those Republicans, but it's about reaching out and saying this is a tent where there's
00:39when we're defending democracy, you're welcome no matter what your political stripes are.
00:44I think he's done a good job in pushing back against Russian aggression in Ukraine. And
00:48I got to tell you, the 20% of Nikki Haley voters, they are all about Ukraine defeating
00:54Russia. They understand the importance of the post-World War II order. National
00:59defense means something to them. And they're also not buying Donald Trump when he says
01:04I've kept us out of World War III. Well, when you surrender to your enemy and give
01:09them everything they want, you're probably not going to end up in a war because
01:14they don't have to shoot a shot to get what they need. Donald Trump stood next to Vladimir
01:19Putin and said I trust him over our intelligence agencies. What do you think that did
01:24to the FSB? It gave them a huge boost. So I think Joe Biden showing his commitment to
01:30strong national defense, showing his commitment to democracy and showing frankly that you're
01:36welcome even if you're still a Republican is a huge thing. As far as anything else,
01:41we'll we'll see how this how this goes on.
01:43Do you guys want to add to that?
01:45This election is going to be determined by the 10% that sit and look like Adam and I,
01:51that are Republicans and conservative in nature, but just don't have the stomach to vote
01:54for somebody like Donald Trump. They just have enough moral character in themselves to
01:58not gravitate towards him and his life in the gutter. And so I think it's important for
02:03us to be able to convince that 10% because they're going to do one of several things.
02:06They're going to stay home and sit on the couch and not vote for either one, or they're
02:10going to show up and they're going to vote for Joe Biden. And I think the opportunity
02:13here is as a Republican that we plan to have our party back to where it works and
02:17functions and operates and negotiates with Democrats and works with compromise.
02:21But to get that back, it has to be to get rid of Donald Trump. We've got to get rid
02:25of him. And I think for now, the Biden administration, the Biden campaign is doing a
02:29good job of reaching out for individuals that look like us and talk like us and think
02:33like us and have campaigned as conservatives.
02:36But I think there's additional olive branches, I think, in looking at how we talk
02:39about this economy, because this is all going to come down to the economy, being
02:42sensitive to be able to talk about both sides of the economy, which President Biden is
02:46doing. There's two sides.
02:47Some people wake up today and it's the worst economy they've ever faced.
02:50They can't afford rent or houses or groceries.
02:53Some are waking up in the greatest economy ever because their houses are worth more
02:57and their 401ks are worth more.
02:59So being sensitive to talk to both parts of that and you're starting to see that
03:02messaging come out and abroad.
03:05The reality is this.
03:06Donald Trump can talk about all the spending and all the debt that Joe Biden has had
03:11on his almost four years of watch.
03:13Donald Trump spent eight trillion dollars we didn't have.
03:16Right. He spent it because it wasn't just COVID related.
03:19He spent it because he was trying to buy off constituencies from coast to coast.
03:23And so Donald Trump shows up as a fake Republican.
03:26My job, Adam's job and others that are trying to take on this mantle and give air
03:29cover to the millions of Republicans that don't want to vote for Donald Trump.
03:33They don't even want to like Donald Trump.
03:34And you said this the other night on TV.
03:36In 10 years, you'll be hard pressed to find a Republican that even admits they voted
03:39for Donald Trump.
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