BURSTFormer Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said he has “absolutely no worries” that President-elect Trump will try to put him in jail.
Trump joined “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker Sunday for his first sit-down interview since winning the election. He indicated that he would not explicitly order his appointees to go after his political enemies but referenced jailing members who sat on the Jan. 6 select committee, which Kinzinger was part of.
Kinzinger appeared on CNN Sunday, where he was asked if he has concerns about his future under the Trump administration.
“No, I have absolutely no worries about this,” he replied. “First off, the executive branch can’t go after the legislative branch because we embarrassed him. That’s not a sin, that’s not against the law.”
Kinzinger noted that most people who testified before the committee were Trump’s fellow Republicans.
“So, look, he’s … all butt hurt right now because he was embarrassed. He’s not going to come after us, and I’m not worried about it at all,” Kinzinger said.
As Trump prepares to enter the White House again, there’s concern that he will use the Justice Department to go after his rivals. It’s something he previously spoke about as he faced his own criminal charges.
The president-elect is assembling a Cabinet that also raises questions. He is surrounding himself with loyalists who, unlike his first administration, may not hold Trump back.
Kinzinger, who chose not to run for reelection after serving seven terms in the House, was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He was one of two Republicans who served on the Jan. 6 committee, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), who lost her primary election in 2022.
He has remained a fierce critic of Trump’s and said after the election he has “no fear” about a second Trump term.