Rep. Kinzinger Statement on Senate's Acquittal

Statement

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) released the following statement after the Senate voted to acquit former President Trump of his impeachment charges:

"To those who have argued that impeachment was rushed or that impeachment will further divide us, we must remember that former President Trump put all of us--Congress and the American people--in this lose-lose situation.
"On January 6, 2021, the President of the United States encouraged an angry mob of his supporters to storm the United States Capitol to stop the counting of the presidential electoral votes. This angry mob turned violent and caused destruction to our nation's Capitol. This insurrection led to countless injuries and the death of several people, including three of our police officers.
"We all heard the former President's speech that day, and we all watched this tragedy with our very own eyes. Sadly, I predicted violence weeks before and was dismissed when I brought it up through the proper channels. Our police officers were forced to not only defend the U.S. Capitol in hand to hand combat, they defended our democracy.
"Throughout my time in Congress, I've sought to do the right thing for the good of the people I represent and for the country as a whole. If we are willing to ask our young men and women to wear the uniform and sacrifice their lives for the good of the country, how can Members of Congress--the elected officials entrusted by the American people to serve them honorably--be unwilling to sacrifice their careers in order to save the country?
"Make no mistake, the damage being done to the state of our republic and the democratic values we hold dear is unacceptable. And the losses I'll face pale in comparison to the stakes here. I am disappointed that the Senate was unwilling to hold former President Trump accountable for his actions. And I will be looking at alternate options to ensure responsibility and accountability so that what happened on January 6, 2021 will never happen again.
"We have a lot of work to do to restore the Republican Party and to turn the tide on the personality politics. For me, I am at total peace with my decision on impeachment and my mission to restore the GOP, to uphold the principles we hold dear, and firmly put the country first. Our future depends on it."

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