Stating that loyalty is "one way with President Trump," Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger points out to CNN's Alysin Camerota this morning that anyone who doesn't agree with Trump's version of reality gets thrown under the bus.
"You know, where I feel really bad, though, is just the people that are, you know, struggling during the pandemic that are giving President Trump's campaign money for this recount because they believe him and it's just a scam, it's a big grift," he said.
"We have some numbers about that I think the president has sent 554 fundraising emails since election night. So since election night, since he lost the election, what's he raising money for? And people are still giving him money," Camerota said.
"Yeah. I mean, look, you know, they believe in him. And you can -- I think we have to step back and understand, you know, people that feel very disaffected, Donald Trump spoke to them, but here is the problem, is up until the election, you know, it's an election, it's just a competition of ideas, but after an election, it has turned into an undermining of the democracy and that's the differentiation between, you know, people that say, 'Well, Adam, you know, was supportive of the president in the past.' The difference here is what it's doing to undermine our democracy and the fact, then, that people that work hard for their money, hard-working taxpayers are giving their money to this, because they are convinced because the president is telling them this that they can win, and they can't.
"I mean, the scam in Congress with January 6th all these members of Congress that are, you know, posting crazy things so they can get a ton of followers and retweets and raise money, I think we have to call it out finally because if we don't, people are just going to believe it," the congressman said.
But lest you think this Republican seems like a completely reasonable man, he does have to bring up the deficit. Because there's an incoming Democratic administration!
"So, look, there's real concern about the deficit and I voted for the $2,000 checks when they came up, I guess, yesterday or the day before, but, look, I mean, we're coming out of here with $29 trillion in debt, we're going to have to make some sacrifices.
"I think there is a legitimate question about what the size of that check needs to be, but, you know, my view on it is it's a time where we are in such a bad position that if you are going to spend money and put it in people's pockets so they can spend money, it needs to be now and I don't know if Mitch McConnell is just slow-walking it or whatever, but keep in mind, I mean, the president has just gone after Mitch McConnell now, you know, and gone after anybody that's ever done anything good for the president because he cannot take personal responsibility for his loss.
"He's got to put it on other people."
