Adam Kinzinger says Democratic Party is 'just as patriotic' as Republicans

Former Illinois GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Thursday night made an unexpected appeal to Republican voters who were tuning into the Democratic convention, urging them to support Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump. 

Kinzinger, who served on the Democratic-led January 6 committee, characterized Trump as a "weak man" who is "pretending to be strong," and claimed Democrats are just as "patriotic" as Republicans.

“I believe true strength lies in defending the vulnerable," Kinzinger said. "It's in protecting your family. It's in standing up for our Constitution and our democracy that that is the soul of being a conservative. It used to be the soul of being a Republican, but Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party.”

The former lawmaker claimed "democracy knows no party," and urged voters to support Harris if they believe in the "bedrock values" of the country.

"[Democracy] is a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation," Kinzinger said. "It is the bedrock that separates us from tyranny -- and when that foundation is fractured, we must stand united to strengthen it."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.