Kinzinger Criticizes Gaetz: "This is Why We Need a January 6 Commission"

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Last updated on May 29th, 2021 at 08:55 pm

Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) did not mince words on the subject of Representative Matt Gaetz, who sparked significant controversy after he gave a speech urging Americans to use their Second Amendment rights.

“Four months after an insurrection at the Capitol, we’re hearing this language at another rally where so-called ‘leaders’ are stoking fears & anger and inciting violence,” Kinzinger tweeted in response to a clip of Gaetz’s speech in Georgia during a stop on his “America First” tour.

This is why we need a January 6 commission. Four months after an insurrection at the Capitol, we’re hearing this language at another rally where so-called “leaders” are stoking fears & anger and inciting violence. https://t.co/DEaKjKR9ph

— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) May 28, 2021

Kinzinger’s comments came as Senate Republicans voted to kill a vote to form a commission to investigate the Capitol riot, which took place after former President Donald Trump urged his supporters to storm the United States Capitol in a failed bid to overturn the results of the 2020 general election.

Gaetz has largely backed the ex-president’s falsehoods about the election and has positioned himself as a victim of “cancel culture” as the culture war between the GOP and Democrats continues. During his speech, he encouraged Americans to take up arms against tech companies in Silicon Valley, whom he, without offering actual evidence, has accused of censoring conservative thought.

“The internet’s hall monitors out in Silicon Valley, they think they can suppress us, discourage us. ‘Maybe if you’re just a little less patriotic. Maybe if you just conform to their way of thinking a little more you’ll be allowed to participate in the digital world,'” he said. “Well you know what, Silicon Valley can’t cancel this movement, or this rally, or this congressman. We have a second amendment in this country and I think we have an obligation to use it.”

“This is a little history lesson for all the fake news media. The Second Amendment is not about hunting, it’s not about recreation, it’s not about sports. The Second Amendment is about maintaining within the citizenry the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government, if that becomes necessary,” Gaetz continued. “I hope that never does, but it sure is important to recognize the founding principles of this nation and make sure they are fully understood.”

Earlier this week, Gaetz announced he would run for the presidency in 2024 in the event Trump does not, a move that has been criticized as a distractionary tactic while he is under federal investigation on potential sex trafficking charges. Gaetz’s associate, Joel Greenberg, last week pleaded guilty to six federal charges, admitting he had knowingly solicited and paid for sex from a minor. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.