Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) says he would relish the opportunity to face off against former President Donald Trump in 2024 — even if he lost.
During an interview with HuffPost, Kinzinger was asked whether he has any presidential aspirations and how he would feel about running against the former president in the 2024 Republican primary.
“I would love it. I really would,” he responded.
He continued, “Even if he crushed me, like in a primary, to be able to stand up and call out the garbage is just a necessary thing, regardless of who it is.”
“I think it’d be fun,” Kinzinger said.
Kinzinger tells @lizskalka it would be "fun" to run against Trump in a primary.
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) April 18, 2022
“Even if he crushed me…to be able to stand up and call out the garbage is just a necessary thing, regardless of who it is" https://t.co/QxZJUCt14p
When asked if he would run for president, Kinzinger said, “I’ll make a decision when we get there, if there’s a need and a desire.”
“It’s truly not anything I’m planning right now, but I’m not going to rule it out,” he continued.
Finally, Kinzinger said, “Look, if we’re in a position, if it’s just terrible candidates and the country’s in a worse place? Maybe. But there’s no grand plan right now.”
Kinzinger, who has been a vocal critic of Trump and his unfounded claims of widespread election fraud, announced in Oct. 2021 that he will not run for reelection this year.
He is one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, and was facing a primary challenge from former Trump aide Catalina Lauf.
During an appearance on CNN in February, the Illinois Congressman was asked what he would tell his son about Trump.
“I’m going to tell him [Trump] was the worst president the United States of America ever had. He was a liar, he was a charlatan. And he was a man with a more fragile ego than anybody I’ve ever met,” Kinzinger responded.
JUST NOW: I will tell him [Trump] was the worst president the USA ever had. He was a liar and a charlatan. And he was a man with a most fragile ego I ever met."
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) February 7, 2022
GOP Rep @AdamKinzinger on what he will tell his newborn son about Trump.pic.twitter.com/EFoiV44OPY
He continued, “The irony of it is he walks around like the tough guy. But he’s the one that gets more offended and wounded and sad than anybody I know.”
Trump has not said whether he plans to run for president again.
However, he has dropped hints that he may run again.
