Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger endorsed the president. Joe Biden The move gives Democratic candidates a powerful new ally in the crucial battle to win over moderate Republicans and independents this fall.
Kinzinger is a military pilot who has emerged as a fierce critic of the former president. Donald Trump rear The US Capitol was stormed by Trump supportersIn a video announcing his endorsement of Biden, he described Trump as a “direct threat to all fundamental American values.”
“Obviously, I don’t agree with everything President Biden says, and I never thought I’d support a Democratic presidential nominee, but I know he will always protect the very thing that makes America the greatest country in the world – our democracy,” said Kinzinger, who voted for Trump in 2020.
The former Illinois congressman also issued an ominous warning: Trump “will hurt anyone and anything in his pursuit of power,” he said.
Kinzinger’s announcement came on the eve of opening day. Presidential Debate And Biden can point to several high-profile Republicans who backed him over Trump on Thursday night, as his team prioritizes outreach to moderate Republicans and independents alienated by Trump’s tumultuous tenure in the White House.
Kinzinger will be the highest-profile Republican official to formally endorse Biden. Earlier this month, the Biden campaign named Kinzinger’s former chief of staff, Austin Weatherford, as national communications director for the Republican Party. Weatherford, a former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, will be the highest-profile Republican official to formally endorse Biden. Jeff Duncan He also endorsed Biden last month.
Eventually, more influential names are likely to be announced, with many prominent Republicans expected to join Biden’s campaign. November Elections.
Shortly after Kinzinger announced his decision, Biden shared a video of his support on social media, saying he was grateful for Republicans’ support.
“This is what it means to put country over party,” Biden wrote on X.
Biden’s team is trying to create what’s called a “permission structure” for Republican voters who would otherwise find it difficult to vote for a Democratic president.
Kinzinger rose to national prominence as one of two Republicans serving on the House investigative committee. January 6, 2021 AttackThe committee highlighted numerous illegal acts committed by Trump before and during the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, where Congress was attempting to certify Biden’s election results.
Kinzinger did not seek reelection in 2022. Impeach President Trump Trump, who issued a statement condemning the president for his role in the January 6 attack, called on the Republican Party to change course.
“To all Americans of all parties and independents: now is not the time to sit back and watch as Donald Trump threatens the future of America,” said Kinzinger, who repeatedly described himself as a conservative in the video. “Now is the time to unite behind Joe Biden and get Donald Trump off the stage once and for all.”
Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez in a statement Wednesday called Kinzinger “a true public servant who sets an example by putting our country and democracy above partisanship or blind deference to Trump.”
“Congressman Kinzinger represents countless Americans who Donald Trump’s Republican Party left behind,” she said. “These Americans have a place in President Biden’s coalition, and our campaign knows we need to stand up for them.”
Trump and his allies have long ignored Kinzinger’s efforts to rally Republicans against him. Trump publicly congratulated him for not seeking reelection and has called for the prosecution of Kinzinger and other lawmakers who served on the Jan. 6 committee, a standard Trump tactic to suggest his opponents will face government retribution.
Biden has been particularly focused on courting supporters of former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who continued to garner a sizable following among anti-Trump Republican primary voters throughout the spring even after she suspended her campaign.
As part of Biden’s ongoing outreach to moderate voters of both parties, the campaign has released ads highlighting Trump’s personal attacks on Haley, including that he often called her a “wild card” and suggested she’s “unfit to be president.”
Hailey said last month Vote for Trump In the general election.
Indeed, Trump’s grip on his party’s enthusiastic base is stronger than ever, and the vast majority of Republican elected officials support his campaign for president in 2024, including a handful like Haley who ran against him in the primary.
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