Former congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posted Wednesday on X that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who is a Republican candidate for House Speaker, is the “best option for Ukraine.”
Kinzinger is a strong advocate of defending Ukraine’s eastern border with $113 billion of American taxpayers’ dollars, while illegal aliens invade the U.S. southern border.
“With the rank and file of my party losing faith in the fight for democracy, I see yet another example of how the conservatism I once knew, and that America relied on, is disappearing,” he wrote in a CNN op-ed in August.
“Be consistent,” Kinzinger told NPR. “If you like Vladimir Putin, be consistent in that. But playing politics is damaging this country, and I can guarantee you China is watching that.”
Kinzinger, a so-called “Never Trump” Republican and CNN commentator, took aim last week at Scalise’s speakership opponent, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH).
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) speaks during a U.S. Senate campaign event on October 20, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
“I would put [Jordan] in the camp of Christian nationalist where he believes that he is truly fighting the dark forces and the Constitution in some cases is an impediment,” Kinzinger told CNN. “It is very dangerous for this country, very dangerous for the House.”
“The thing that you need to understand about Jim Jordan is he is a true believer, but he truly believes that the Democrats, or the left, is an enemy of America and he will do anything even extra constitutionally to defeat them,” Kinzinger said. “That is his genuine belief.”
WATCH — Kinzinger: “Christian Nationalist” Jim Jordan Is Very Dangerous to this Country:
Before the House can hold a vote on the floor to elect a new speaker, the majority of the Republican conference must support a single candidate. The Republican conference held that vote Wednesday and Scalise only received 113 member votes, three of which were delegates from territories. Jordan received 99 votes, and eight voted present.
Scalise’s 110 number means he does not have a majority of the majority, a bad sign for Scalise’s chances of winning the speakership. As a result, the House floor will not hold a vote Wednesday for speaker.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.