Rep. Adam Kinzinger | Capitol Quiet

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Featuring Rep. Adam Kinzinger | "Capitol Quiet"

Episode Information:

• Title: Rep. Adam Kinzinger | Capitol Quiet
• Host: Stephen Colbert
• Guest: Congressman Adam Kinzinger
• Release Date: January 7, 2025

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1. Introduction and Context

In this episode of The Late Show Pod Show, Stephen Colbert welcomes Congressman Adam Kinzinger, one of the two Republicans who served on the January 6th Committee. The discussion revolves around the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection, the current political climate, and the implications of Donald Trump's continued influence within the Republican Party.

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2. Reflections on January 6th

Stephen Colbert initiates the conversation by referencing the certification of Donald Trump's electoral victory by Congress, highlighting the unusually peaceful process without the expected chaos (00:00-03:11).

"The striking thing about this time was how normal it was again. There was no riot. No one broke a window with their beard." (00:00)

Adam Kinzinger provides a somber perspective on January 6th, emphasizing the gravity of the event and its impact on American democracy.

"That was terrible." (03:11)

Colbert humorously contrasts the event with Orwellian references, illustrating the distorted narratives surrounding the insurrection.

"Hate is love. Violence is peace." (03:13)

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3. Public Perception and Media Influence

The conversation delves into how Donald Trump's portrayal of January 6th has influenced public opinion. Kinzinger cites a Washington Post poll indicating a significant split in how Americans perceive the riot:

• 55% viewed it as an attack on democracy.
• 43% believed too much emphasis was placed on it.
• 28% thought the events were equally peaceful and violent.

"Trump's total whitewashing of the insurrection has convinced his base that the coup was no big whoop." (03:13)

Kinzinger criticizes the fragmentation of reality among Americans, attributing it to misleading narratives and the lack of unified leadership within the GOP.

"This shows that people are getting their news in completely different worlds from, you know, their neighbor." (04:15)

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4. Democratic Leadership and Future Challenges

Discussing Democratic strategies, Kinzinger notes leaders like Hakeem Jeffries are focusing on defending freedoms and the American Dream amidst current challenges.

"We will fight hard to defend the freedom of opportunity that makes the American dream possible." (04:16)

However, Colbert interjects with humor, highlighting the satirical nature of political slogans.

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5. Impact of Current Events and Future Implications

Winter Storm Blair in Washington, D.C., is mentioned as a significant disruption, affecting travel and daily life, symbolizing broader governmental and infrastructural challenges.

"Nearly 3 million people are without power today as plunging temperatures endanger lives, all thanks to the Yoplay Gogurt Blizzard." (04:16)

The resignation of Justin Trudeau as Canada's Prime Minister is also discussed, with Kinzinger expressing concerns about the global political landscape's stability.

"In his resignation speech today, Trudeau said he was leaving reluctantly. I'm a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply. Except for this bone right here." (04:15)

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6. Presidential Actions and Legislative Accomplishments

President Joe Biden's recent actions, including signing the Social Security Fairness Act and awarding Presidential Medals of Freedom, are scrutinized. Kinzinger offers a mix of praise and critique, highlighting both positive contributions and perceived shortcomings.

"The president also gave a medal to billionaire and political activist George Soros. It was a nice gesture, and I say it's about damn time." (09:00)

Colbert humorously comments on the medals, blending political commentary with lighthearted banter.

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7. In-Depth Discussion with Adam Kinzinger

The core of the episode features an extensive interview with Congressman Adam Kinzinger, focusing on his experiences and perspectives post-January 6th.

a. Kinzinger's Role and Reflections

Kinzinger reflects on his involvement with the January 6th Committee, emphasizing the importance of truth and accountability.

"We just tell the American people the truth. And it's on the American people to seek out true information and not be manipulated." (19:43)

b. Trump's Continued Influence and Republican Leadership

Kinzinger criticizes the current Republican leadership for failing to effectively counteract Trump's influence, attributing the party's struggles to weak leadership and alignment with Trumpism.

"This is a failure of leadership, of GOP leadership, because the base that trusts the GOP leaders, look at them." (17:08)

He expresses concern over the weaponization of legal institutions, specifically mentioning Kash Patel, and the potential threats to democratic institutions.

"Weaponizing the law... it's weaponizing the law... It's not trying to throw somebody in jail for being on the committee. It's weaponizing the law." (25:15)

c. The Last Republican Documentary

Kinzinger discusses the documentary "The Last Republican," highlighting its focus on the human story and bipartisan respect despite political differences.

"It shows us getting along and having great respect for each other despite our differences." (27:30)

d. Concerns for the Future

Addressing future challenges, Kinzinger emphasizes the importance of supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia and fears that Trump's potential policies could exacerbate global conflicts.

"I worry that he's just going to set up another war in five or 10 years when Russia's rebuilt." (24:19)

He also warns against the misuse of the Department of Justice, cautioning that political motivations could undermine legal integrity.

"Weaponizing justice or the FBI, that's a huge problem for." (25:37)

e. Personal Reflections and Humor

Throughout the interview, Kinzinger maintains a balance of serious discourse and humor, addressing threats and political pressure with wit.

"I've got these plans for what I'm going to make my cell look like and what Cuba get hard." (22:11)

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8. Conclusion and Final Remarks

Stephen Colbert wraps up the episode by highlighting the release of Kinzinger's documentary and encouraging listeners to engage with the content. The conversation concludes with lighthearted promotion of other shows and content on Paramount Plus, blending political discourse with typical late-night show elements.

"The Last Republican is in theaters now. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, everybody." (29:08)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Stephen Colbert (00:00): "There was no riot. No one broke a window with their beard."

• Adam Kinzinger (03:11): "Murder."

• Stephen Colbert (03:13): "Hate is love. Violence is peace."

• Adam Kinzinger (04:15): "This is a failure of leadership, of GOP leadership."

• Adam Kinzinger (19:43): "We just tell the American people the truth."

• Adam Kinzinger (25:15): "It's weaponizing the law."

• Adam Kinzinger (24:19): "I worry that he's just going to set up another war."

• Adam Kinzinger (22:11): "I've got these plans for what I'm going to make my cell look like and what Cuba get hard."

• Stephen Colbert (29:08): "The Last Republican is in theaters now."

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Key Takeaways

• January 6th Reflection: Kinzinger underscores the severity of the Capitol insurrection and criticizes the ongoing attempts to downplay its impact.

• Republican Leadership: There's a significant critique of the GOP's current leadership for aligning too closely with Trumpism, leading to internal conflicts and a lack of coherent direction.

• Weaponization of Institutions: Kinzinger warns against the misuse of legal and governmental institutions for political gains, highlighting the dangers posed by figures like Kash Patel.

• Future Concerns: The potential for renewed global conflicts, particularly concerning Ukraine, and the internal political struggles within the U.S. are major points of concern.

• Documentary Insight: "The Last Republican" offers a personal and humanized glimpse into Kinzinger's political journey, emphasizing bipartisan respect and the challenges of navigating current political landscapes.

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Conclusion: This episode provides a comprehensive look into Congressman Adam Kinzinger's perspectives on recent political events, the state of the Republican Party, and the ongoing impact of the January 6th insurrection. Through a blend of serious analysis and humor, Kinzinger delivers a candid discussion on the challenges facing American democracy and the importance of truthful leadership.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. Recently, I asked Mint Mobile's legal team if big wireless companies are allowed to raise prices due to inflation. They said yes. And then when I asked if raising prices technically violates those onerous two year contracts, they said, what the are you talking about? You insane Hollywood. So to recap, we're cutting the price of mint unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month. Give it a [e-mail] switch. $45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees. Extra Speed slower above 40 GB. Details. What do you know about the L? Are you a lioness? I run it. From Taylor Sheridan comes the Paramount plus original series starring Zoe Saldana. I choose the asset, I choose the COVID I build the plan and I run it. Me. With Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman and Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman. Everyone's watching on this one, and I do mean everyone. Lioness. New season now streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus. Welcome. Welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. And it is good. That's good. I missed that. It's nice to hear. It's good to be back. I missed everybody. Yeah, I know. Today is January 6th, which of course is the feast of the Epiphany, when the three wise men say with me, Balthazar, Gaspar and Melchior followed a star to Bethlehem, then stormed the manger and stole Mary's podium. What else? What else? Oh, yeah. Today, Donald Trump's electoral victory was certified by Congress. Yes, I used to feel things, too. And the striking thing about this time was how normal it was again. There was no riot. No one broke a window with their beard. In fact, the whole process took only 30 minutes. Yeah, democracy shouldn't take longer than it takes Rachael Ray to make a meal. Peaceful transfer of power. Yummo. Now, if you had come up to me four years ago and said to my face that one day Donald Trump would be certified for a second term, I would have said, six feet away, please. Social distancing. If you'll excuse me, I have to go Lysol and bang a pot for nurses. I'm not sure what there is to say about January 6th at this point. We all saw what happened. Trump lost. He said he didn't. A bunch of cowardly Republicans backed him up. They all whipped up a mob which stormed the Capitol and beat police with flag poles, trying to overturn our democracy. This launched the largest criminal investigation in our nation's history. Nearly 1,600 of the rioters, 1,000 of which have already been to trial or pleaded guilty. Out of all of them, two have been acquitted. The results are in. It was bad. Or as Trump would call it, that.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Was a day of love.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, yes. On January 6th, love was in the air. Also bear spray. And by reinstalling Donald Trump, we are stepping right into through the Orwellian looking glass with Trump. Hate is love. Violence is peace. Nugget is food. And while most Americans exist in something called, and I hope I'm pronouncing this correctly, reality, Trump's total whitewashing of the insurrection has convinced his base that the coup was no big whoop. For example, in a Washington Post poll, 55% of voters said the January 6 riot was an attack on democracy. But 43% said too much has been made of it. And 28% of voters said the events of January 6 were equally peaceful and violent. That makes no sense, Officer. I'm violent and peaceful. Yes, I stabbed him 20 times, but in my defense, I pulled the knife out 19 times. Okay?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Murder.

[Stephen Colbert]

Saved his life. Die, die, die. Live, live, live. Now, during the transition, during this transition period we're in right now, Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries, who's the leader of the Democrats right now, are taking the high road, but keeping their eye on the Democratic prize. Unfortunately, he phrased it this. We will fight hard to defend the freedom of opportunity that makes the American dream possible. We will fight hard for the freedom to vote. Don't you. Don't you dare correct yourself. You were right the first time. You gotta fart hard. So hard for the freedom to vote. That's why they give it those stickers on election Day that say, I tooted. But I'll tell you, you gotta be careful. Cause on January 6th, especially if you fart for freedom too hard, you could end up with the poo poo. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Four years of jokes out of that quote. Four years. The electoral certification wasn't the only big news from D.C. today. Because this afternoon, Washington, D.C. hit by winter snowstorm. That headline again. Hell freezes over. The weather is disrupting travel everywhere. More than 3,000 flights have been canceled or delayed, and Amtrak announced over 40 trains were canceled. And Amtrak only cancels trains for very good reasons, like they feel like it. Now, if you're caught up in a storm and want a name to shake your fist out, turns out the folks are calling it Winter Storm. Blair. Winter Storm because of the freezing conditions, and Blair because the storm bullied you in grade school for being poor. Now, to be clear, that name is totally made up. The National Weather Service does not officially name winter storms. Winter Storm Blair was named by the Weather Channel. Okay, fine. But you're a TV network. If you're going to name things, don't miss out on an opportunity for sponsorship. Nearly 3 million people are without power today as plunging temperatures endanger lives, all thanks to the Yoplay Gogurt Blizzard. Yes, from the Weather Channel to all those affected, you are in our thoughts, our prayers, our squeezes and our slurps. Speaking of snow, there's news from Canada today. Justin Trudeau announced he will resign as Prime Minister. This is going to have massive repercussions. Do you realize with the loss of Trudeau, the hottest G7 leader is now Olaf Schultz. Well, well, hello there, Fraulein. Would you like. Would you like Herr Schultz to take it orloff? In his resignation speech today, Trudeau said he was leaving reluctantly. I'm a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply. Except for this bone right here. This here. This is my quitten bone. What's that? What's that? Try one of those Viking river cruises. Good idea. Quit and bone Melted cheese on the Danube. Hey, everybody been on one of those Viking river cruises? Everybody went on one. No, no one's ever actually been on one. I just imagined it's all just drinking and cheese the entire time. Yeah. Farting hard for freedom now. Hey. Oh, we have a Peabody. We only can only fart jokes. We have a Peabody now. Hey, remember Joe Biden? He does sometimes. The President is doing everything he can to secure his legacy on the way out the door. And yesterday he signed the Social Security Fairness Act. It is a major legislative accomplishment that will help a lot of seniors and stuff. I don't know. But the main takeaway was when he tried to sing Happy Birthday to a teen whose grandma will benefit from the bill.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Joining US Today, Alicia, 17 year old from Texas.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where's Alicia?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Guess what tomorrow is his birthday. Gotta sing Happy Birthday. You ready?

[Stephen Colbert]

Happy birthday to you.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Happy birthday to you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Happy birthday a leedlee d loo. You just said alessio. That's kind of a tough lyric to whiff. Reminds me of this famous moment from Simon and Garfunkel.

[Adam Kinzinger]

God bless you, please.

[Stephen Colbert]

This weekend, Biden also handed out Presidential Medals of Freedom to American leaders in the arts, cultures and science. The honorees included Magic Johnson, who had to bend down to receive his medal. Missed opportunity to give Joe Biden a Piggyback ride. The president also gave a medal to billionaire and political activist George Soros. It was a nice gesture, and I say it's about damn time. Because he may be the bete noire of the right, but I believe in my heart George Soros is a wonderful man who's only concerned with keeping an open and liberal society, not only for Americans, but for the world. Plus, he has an ass that will not quit. Another medal getter was Bill Nye, the science guy, who of course. Hell yeah. There you go. There it is. Of course, Bill got the medal for his humanitarian work of saving science teachers who were too hungover to teach. That's why they also gave a medal to his partner, the AV cart.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey. There were also honors for Jane Goodall, who dedicated her life to conservation efforts along with fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Now, you may be thinking one of those feels a little more medal of free to me than the other. But don't forget, without Ralph, we would never know the smell of man playing golf on horse. If watching Biden give out his last medals of freedom makes you want a drink, good for you. Also bad for you because the surgeon general has called for cancer warnings on alcohol. Cancer, huh? Well, luckily I'm a Taurus. Don't go too far. But guys, you can't put a warning label on alcohol. It's dangerous to drink and read at the same time. I'm trying to keep my eyes on the road here. Also, why does only fun stuff cause cancer? Can't studies show it's bad to do stuff no one likes to do? Sorry, I can't refill the humidifier and then walk the sloshing container through the house in the dark. I could get lupus. Evidently, according to researchers, there is no safe level of alcohol to drink. Well, yeah, but I don't drink to feel safe. I drink to feel nothing. Happy January 6th, everybody. We got a great show for you tonight coming up. Congressman Adam Kinzinger. I don't want to get promoted. I want to stay charmingly insubordinate. I'm okay. Now streaming. Let's do this. Am I catching it? Now prepare for an adventure. I know these guys. They're super nice. Hey, what's up, my man? Five seasons in the making. Woo. God damn it.

[Adam Kinzinger]

This is terrible.

[Stephen Colbert]

This keeps getting cooler by the second Star Trek lower decks final season. Now streaming.

[Adam Kinzinger]

An all new All Access Paramount original docuseries.

[Stephen Colbert]

Kristen Kulisik is captain of the U.S. national team.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Take a sneak peek into my trailer. Following America's Captain Soccer brings out a different character in me.

[Stephen Colbert]

On his quest for global victory, Captain.

[Adam Kinzinger]

America has taken his team on his shoulders.

[Stephen Colbert]

Balancing fame.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Christians never wanted the spotlight and the game. These are the goals that create legends. I want to be the best player in the world.

[Stephen Colbert]

Pic presented by Michelob Ultra New docu series now streaming exclusively on Paramount plus. Now streaming on Paramount plus. What's your job? When people go missing, I get hired to help find them. Catch up now on Tracker. I'm here to help the CBS original series that critics are calling a breakout hit.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Nothing good comes without risks.

[Stephen Colbert]

I would drink to that. Justin Hartley stars. Hold on. Did you say Arrow Run? That's a new one. Coulter in the CBS original tracker. Catch up on the latest episodes now on Paramount plus. Hey, welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. My guest tonight is a congressman from Illinois who was one of the two Republicans to serve on the January 6th Committee. Now he's the subject of a new documentary, the Last Republican.

[Adam Kinzinger]

I called it. It was like Saturday morning when you had a giant party at your house Friday night, and now you got chickens flying around, you have a bad headache. You know, you're only wearing a shirt and you're like, what did we do last night? That's where I thought the party was. So you're. Your thinking, even at that moment, was the insurrection and the attempt to overthrow the government in a. In a coup d'etat that included 140 Republicans voting to not certify the election. You thought that just might have been a crazy bender and that they were gonna wake up and get their together. Yep. You wake up, you're gonna deal with the hangover, and you're gonna gut it out and drink water. Right. Donald Trump was a nonentity. Nobody even showed up at Andrews when he left. But you can always fix a hangover by starting to drink again. And that's when Kevin McCarthy goes to Mar? A Lago. That changed everything.

[Stephen Colbert]

Please welcome back to the Late Show, Congressman Adam Kinzinger.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Thank you. Good to see you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Good to see you, too.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah, thanks.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So can I call you Adam? I've been calling you Congressman Kinzinger for so many years now, I feel like. Could I just call you Adam?

[Adam Kinzinger]

You had to call me Congressman for the first, you know, four years after January 6th. But as of today, you can call me Adam.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right, great. Congressman, you. You tried really hard.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

To stop Donald Trump from winning another term in office. It did not work. The American people disagreed with you. Would you like to apologize?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Only if you join me, sir.

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Only if you join me.

[Stephen Colbert]

I got a little tickle my throat. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to. What do you make of the fact that Donald Trump, four years later, after this horrific day, as you said, you say in that clip that he was a nonentity. He was done, generally speaking. Historically, I was wrong about this, too. Historically, you know, strongman is strong until strongman ever not strong, and then strongman weak.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yep, yep.

[Stephen Colbert]

And that's what I thought would happen. But now strongman back.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Well, look, he. Here's the thing. He was weak. And this is what the clip says. I mean, for three weeks, nobody in the House GOP would even admit, basically, they knew Donald Trump. And so in this vacuum where nobody was speaking, he was. I mean, look, him leaving Andrews with nobody there goes to Mar a lago. He's alone. And then Kevin McCarthy made a decision, and that decision was, I really want to be Speaker. If I take on Trumpism, I won't be able to be Speaker. If I embrace it, everybody else will come along. And I think this is a failure of leadership, of GOP leadership, because the base that trusts the GOP leaders, look at them. And when the Republican leaders are like, oh, January 6th was nothing. It was a tourist visit. Eventually they're going to be like, yeah, I guess I believe them versus these other people I don't trust. So there's a lot of responsibility that goes around to bear for this, not the least of which, of course, is Donald Trump himself.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you say. You have said that there. You think there's a bit of a silver lining to Trump winning reelection. I'm all ears. Because I'm not, like, throwing up my hands. I'm intensely curious about what the next four years are gonna be like. And while I have my opinions about the guy, I'm not prejudging what the events will be. What do you think the silver lining is?

[Adam Kinzinger]

So the silver lining is, I truly believe that we know that the end of Trumpism will be in four years. Now, look, had Donald Trump lost? Because if Donald Trump would have lost, you know, look, then you have this. He passes the baton on to somebody, or maybe J.D. vance runs again or whatever, but nobody and I think much. Certainly Donald Trump will come out of office more popular than they went in.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Congressman Adam Kinzinger. Everybody, stick around. Hey, everybody. We're back with Congressman Adam Kinzinger. Well, as you know, as we said before, it's been four years since January 6th. What does it feel like to have been there for one thing, which we'll get to in just a moment, if you don't mind, and to have voted to impeach Trump on the January 6th impeachment, to investigate that attack with a damning report. And then at the end of the day, 55% of voters believe that the rioters were violent. According to The Washington Post, 21% believe that they were peaceful, and 28% believe that they were equally peaceful and violent at the same time.

[Adam Kinzinger]

I mean, it's a good survey because it's indicative of, like, this kind of split world that we live in where everybody hazard. But what this shows is Donald Trump set out to whitewash what happened on January 6, and he succeeded with a significant number of people. You know, look, I think there were still a lot of Americans that were concerned about January 6th that still voted for Donald Trump, because other issues, economics, inflation, whatever. But, yeah, this is. This is a big concern to me, that people are getting their news in completely different worlds from, you know, their neighbor. And I don't know the answer to that, except that all we can do as leaders, as media is just tell the American people the truth. And it's on the American people to seek out true information and not be manipulated, abused by a weak, small man.

[Stephen Colbert]

What about the people who. What about the people who testified before the January 6th committee? Who. And also the members of the committee, of course. But Donald Trump has said he's going to go after all of those people. Kash Patel said he's going to go after those people. Do you have any advice? Would you say lawyer up?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah. I mean, look, it's.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's because that took courage for those people to do that.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah. Look, I mean, Donald Trump's made it clear, you know, today with all the stuff going on, everybody's like, well, now we can move on from January 6, because we had this peaceful transfer today. I'm like, well, everybody's fine with moving on except Donald Trump. He keeps having to revisit it because we embarrassed him on the committee. We showed how inept he was.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do you think embarrassed him the most? What do you think the thing you said or did on that committee that just burned his buns the crispiest?

[Adam Kinzinger]

I think it's two things. So I think sitting and doing absolutely nothing for 187 minutes while he was watching the Capitol be sacked at. The best way you can describe it for him is that he was completely incompetent and inept. And frozen in indecision. Of course, I think he was waiting to see what the outcome would be and how it happened. The other thing is everybody, with one or two exceptions that spoke to the January 6th committee were Republicans, were Republicans in good standing, were ruby red Republicans that sat there told the truth about how ill qualified Donald Trump was for office. And I think that obviously bothered him.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, January 6th committee is the number one target for him right now. A lot of people he's mad at, including people testified. But as I said, he wants to think you guys should be in jail. How good is your toilet hooch?

[Adam Kinzinger]

I'm practicing. I'm looking for good. But I'm excited about, you know, for four years, people have been threatening me to go to Gitmo. And I'm like, I've got these plans for what I'm going to make my cell look like and what Cuba get hard.

[Stephen Colbert]

Get hard.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah, I've been lifting a lot and ready to go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, wow, Good. Bernie Sanders says that he thinks Biden should offer preemptive pardons to a host of different people, including the people in the January 6th committee. I know that you said on CNN that Anderson Cooper asked you point blank, would you take a pardon if offered to you? And your answer was no. Why?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Because I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, look, if Donald Trump wants to come after me, you know, look, do I want him to come after me? Of course not. But if he decides to, I'll be twice as much of a pain in his backside because I will, from my cell in jail, continue to remind the American people that this is not the country we live in. This was not the country that the Constitution represents. And I'll continue to call them out. So if that's what my next thing of service is, is doing it from a jail cell, okay, Can I have your pardon? Yeah, you can.

[Stephen Colbert]

We've got to take another break here, but stick around. We'll be right back with more Congressman Adam Kinzinger. Hey, everybody. We're back with Congressman and subject of the new documentary, the Last Republican, Adam KINZINGER. So on January 20th, as Hakeem Jeffrey said today at Congress, not all Americans are election deniers, including this side of the aisle. So Donald Trump won. He won eight years ago. He, you know, whatever kind of cloud he might have won over, he was president of the United States. He won again. What concerns you most about the next four years? What is he going to do differently than Biden that's going to concern you the most?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah. There's Two things. Number one is the war in Ukraine, the importance of Ukraine being able to defend itself against this invasion by Russia. I am very worried that he is going to basically break a commitment to let him. To let Russia, say, take Ukraine or at least to negotiate a settlement that can just restart this war.

[Stephen Colbert]

He said it can fix it in 24 hours.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Sure, yeah. I mean, if he just gives Vladimir Putin everything he wants, he sure can. And that's the thing is I worry that he's just going to set up another war in five or 10 years when Russia's rebuilt. Russia's lost 700,000 people, 700,000 casualties, which is an incredible amount. Ukraine is acting heroically. I worry about that a lot. And I worry about these guardrails of the law. What happens if he weaponizes doj? That doesn't mean they're going to throw people in jail, but if Kash Patel decides to just start investigations, that costs the average person, lawyers, time and everything in reputational attack, hundreds of thousands of.

[Stephen Colbert]

Dollars legal fees that are just an investigation. You're not necessarily charged with anything. You're not sent to jail, nor necessarily go to trial.

[Adam Kinzinger]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're just defending yourself.

[Adam Kinzinger]

And they'll say at the end, nope, we didn't find anything. But if it's two years down the road, everybody already thinks you're guilty and you're bankrupt. That's weaponizing the law. It's not trying to throw somebody in jail for being on the committee. It's weaponizing the law.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, so that's okay. That's Cash Patel. Let's talk about. There might be more to say on him, but let's talk about some of the other people who are nominated by Donald Trump. Matt Gaetz is no longer in the Congress, which was fun to see. Some applause.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you see that?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah. Yeah. It's fantastic.

[Stephen Colbert]

I think that applause when. When it was announced that the person who was doing the roll call of swearing people in said Matt Gaetz sent a letter, he's not gonna be part of the Congress. There was applause, I think, from both. Bipartisan plus. Exactly. Okay, so he was gonna be attorney general. He's out of there. Kash Patel for FBI. Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence was overseas, I think, 17 or 18 different agencies. And Pete Hegseth, weekend host of Fox and Friends, is Secretary of Defense.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which of those three, Cash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Hagseth would you have the strongest opinion on, Look, I mean, for the country.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Kash Patel, because I think once you weaponize justice or the FBI, that's a huge problem for. I mean, because now you just get.

[Stephen Colbert]

And there's a lot of autonomy in that job. He says, go. And the dogs attack.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah, there's really no oversight. Next would be obviously Hegseth, because dod, I mean, this is the largest corporation in the world. There's people that put their lives on the line. And Pete served honorably in the military. But by the way, anywhere in D.C. there's probably 50,000 people as or better qualified than Pete Hegseth to run the dod. And then Tulsi. Look, I knew her and I was friends with her up until the day she visited Bashar al Assad, who thank God is out of power now and did his dirty work, basically saying it was the rebels that used chemical weapons during the chemical weapon attack and not Bashar al Assad. And I mean, seeing that twisting literally Russian talking points over and over and now saying this person's going to be.

[Stephen Colbert]

In charge, that was entirely surprising to you?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Totally surprising. I knew she had a little bit of affection for Assad, but for her to go visit Assad and then basically sing Russian talking points, I mean, rt, the Russian television station, has called her basically our girlfriend because she goes on there and says Russian talking points over and over. That's a little. That's frightening to me.

[Stephen Colbert]

So this new documentary called the Last Republican, which covers the last year and a half of your congressional career, there were a bunch of requests, people wanted to make documentaries about you and what was happening at the end of your congressional career. Why say yes to director Steve Pink, who might be best known to some of the people in the audience as the director of the movie Hot Tub Time Machine?

[Adam Kinzinger]

Okay, true story. I love Hot Tub Time Machine.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's a fine movie. So yeah, it's a fine movie, just not the most policy based.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yeah, not what you'd think. But you know, when he came to me and like I had a lot of offers, they were interested in the human story of what I was going through. It was less about the horse race. Are you going to run again? What's this day to day? It was more the human element. And that's what I love about the film is it shows first off, he's very far left. It shows us getting along and having great respect for each other despite our differences. And then beyond that, it's the human story. And I thought that's what attracted me to it. And again, Hot Tub Time. I love talking to him about behind the scenes stuff on hot tub. That was fun.

[Stephen Colbert]

If you had. If you had a hot tub time machine.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where would you take it and what would you do?

[Adam Kinzinger]

January 7, 2021. And I would grab Kevin McCarthy by the collar and tell him, whatever you're about to say today, remember it and stick with it, because I don't think we'd have Donald Trump today if he did.

[Stephen Colbert]

Adam, thank you so much for being here. The Last Republican is in theaters now. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. Paramount is your home for the UEFA Champions League. Magnificent. And this season is bigger, better, bolder than ever. That was special. With more epic matchups, momentous and historic. And more moments from soccer's iconic stars.

[Adam Kinzinger]

What a goal. What a player.

[Stephen Colbert]

The UEFA Champions League. Stream every match live exclusively on Paramount.

[Adam Kinzinger]

Plus the stuff of absolute dreams.

[Stephen Colbert]

Roll out. Transformers 1 is now streaming on Paramount Plus. Awesome. It's the blast from beginning to end. Okay, stop. I'm in. Transformers 1, rated PG. Now streaming on Paramount Plus.