Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger Becomes Latest Republican to Endorse Biden: ‘He Will Always Protect Our Democracy’

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger endorsed Joe Biden for reelection on June 26, crossing the aisle one day before the president faces off with Donald Trump in the first debate of the season.

Kinzinger shared his endorsement on X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote that “as a proud conservative, I’ve always put America’s Democracy and our Constitution above all else.” 

In a video, the Air Force veteran further explained that “it’s because of my unwavering support for democracy that today, as a proud conservative, I’m endorsing Joe Biden for reelection.” 

“So while I certainly don’t agree with President Biden on everything, and I never thought I’d be endorsing a Democrat for president,” Kinzinger continued, “I know that he will always protect the very thing that makes America the best country in the world: our democracy.” 

Kinzinger was one of Trump’s fiercest critics in the Republican Party after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He was one of the few GOP members of Congress who broke rank and voted to impeach him back in January 2021, and he was one of two Republicans who sat on the House of Representatives' Jan. 6 committee, alongside Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

In his endorsement on Wednesday, Kinzinger called Trump “a direct threat to every fundamental American value” and claimed that the Republican candidate would “hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.”

He concluded the video by saying, “To every American of every political party and those of none, I say now is not the time to watch quietly as Donald Trump threatens the future of America. Now is the time to unite behind Joe Biden and show Donald Trump off the stage once and for all.”

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In response to Kinzinger’s endorsement, President Biden posted on X that he is “grateful” for the former congressman's endorsement and wrote, “This is what putting your country before your party looks like.”

“Congressman Kinzinger represents the countless Americans that Donald Trump’s Republican Party have left behind,” said Biden-Harris 2024 campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez in a statement. “Those Americans have a home in President Biden’s coalition, and our campaign knows that we need to show up and earn their support.”

She continued: “Congressman Kinzinger’s endorsement doesn’t just make our campaign stronger — it will better equip us to win the hearts and minds of the voters committed to fighting for the future of our democracy and stopping Donald Trump.”

Kinzinger is not the only prominent Republican to get behind Biden since Trump became the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was the state's No. 2 Republican until 2023, recently explained his decision for supporting this year's Democratic ticket.

“Unlike Trump, I’ve belonged to the GOP my entire life,” he wrote in an open letter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May. “This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.”

Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele said on MSNBC in March that he will also cross the political divide to back Biden.

"I get it with some Republicans who say, ‘Oh, I just can’t vote for a Democrat.’ But this is not — you’re voting for your country. You’re not voting for a Democrat, in this case," Steele said. "I do get the idea that it is hard for some Republicans to go across the street. But baby, you need to do it. The country needs you more than your party does, trust me."

In January, President Trump's onetime deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews voiced that she will not support putting her ex-boss back in the White House.

"While I’ve never voted for a Democrat a day in my life, I would support Biden over Trump if he becomes the GOP nominee," she told The Hill. "I won’t support someone who refused to participate in a peaceful transfer of power, tried to overthrow a free and fair election, and incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol."