Podcast Summary: “Adam Kinzinger: The Last Republican”

Podcast: To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes
Host: Charlie Sykes
Guest: Adam Kinzinger
Date: November 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid and reflective conversation between Charlie Sykes and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger. The main theme centers on Kinzinger’s political journey, the psychological toll of standing up to his party, his new documentary “The Last Republican,” and the recent state of American politics, including the 2025 elections, the rise and fall of GOP leaders, and the fundamental questions of honor, democracy, and political tribalism. The discussion is marked by honesty, regret, biting humor, and a shared sense of urgency about the direction of the Republican Party and the country.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kinzinger’s Public Persona and Interactions

• [01:51]–[04:13]
  • Both Sykes and Kinzinger humorously discuss how, despite negative attacks online, in-person confrontations are rare.
  • Kinzinger describes two notable face-to-face moments, one involving criticism about Trump support and another questioning his belief in the January 6th Committee.
    • Kinzinger: “I basically told him because I wasn’t running again, I’m like, dude, I really don’t care what you think.” [02:13]

2. “The Last Republican” Documentary

• [04:13]–[08:14]
  • Kinzinger explains the focus: not on political horse-race drama, but the human toll—family, friendships, and personal values during Jan 6th and after.
  • Collaboration and banter with director Steve Pink (a “huge lefty”) highlight bipartisan respect.
    • Kinzinger: “They were interested in the human element... how somebody from the left and the right can actually get along and grow to respect each other.” [04:54]
    • The documentary also includes footage of an incident where Kinzinger intervened to stop a murder in 2006.
  • Emotional impact:
    • Kinzinger: “I get choked up a lot watching it because it’s just very, very personal...” [08:14]
    • Post-election, rewatching offers a “sour note” and a sense of lost battles, especially given Trump’s re-election.

3. Responsibility for the GOP’s Direction and January 6th

• [09:36]–[14:56]
  • Kinzinger lays particular blame on Kevin McCarthy for “resurrecting” Trump after January 6th by traveling to Mar-a-Lago, making MAGA ascendant.
    • Kinzinger: “Kevin McCarthy shows up... it’s like the ambulance showing up to cardiac arrest and taking those paddles and bringing somebody back to life. And that’s what he frickin did.” [11:39]
  • He shares regret for not leading a more forceful coup against McCarthy after impeachment, as “the nine other impeachers went silent.”
    • Kinzinger: “I have deep regrets... I think we had a fighting chance to win that fight.” [10:59]
  • Both Sykes and Kinzinger agree that McCarthy’s choices at crucial crossroads, motivated by ambition, altered history.

4. Complex Political Legacies and Changing Sides

• [15:24]–[19:06]
  • Reflection on Dick Cheney’s legacy and Liz Cheney’s moral courage: legacies are complicated; making the right choice when it counts matters most.
    • Kinzinger: “If you truly, truly believe democracy is at stake, there is nothing else that can come in the way between alliances.” [16:54]
  • Frustration with parts of the left refusing to credit anti-Trump conservatives during the fight for democracy, in contrast to MAGA’s willingness to accept any returnees.

5. Recent 2025 Election Results & Demographics

• [19:06]–[24:08]
  • The California referendum and McCarthy’s “swing and miss” trying to stop it.
    • Kinzinger: “He was the third most powerful Republican... now he’s failing... honor matters.” [19:38]
  • Discussion of Hispanic (and Black male) voting patterns; Republicans mistakenly assumed growing long-term support.
    • Kinzinger: “It’s like you and I voting as Germans... Hispanics are not a monolith.” [21:57]
    • GOP misreading of immigration and economic insecurity could cost them these votes.
  • ICE “brute squad” videos, widely circulated among young voters and especially in Hispanic communities, likely swung the election against Republicans.
    • Sykes: “Everybody has them on their phone... you’re seeing these mass, you know, brute squad, you know, ICE agents, you know, throwing grandmas to the ground...” [24:08]
    • Kinzinger: “The videos are... not just, you know, throwing grandmas... it’s American citizens being arrested, harassed, knocked down, shot... with pepper balls. And then a guy with an SS jacket... walking around Chicago...” [25:25]

6. Trump’s Prospects & GOP Civil War

• [27:06]–[29:04]
  • Trump’s floating of a third term—Kinzinger doesn’t buy it due to the 22nd Amendment, but acknowledges Trump will string along contenders to keep power centralized.
    • Kinzinger: “As long as Donald Trump is keeping alive the possibility that he can run again, your Marco Rubio’s, your JD Vance’s are going to... stay underground.” [27:53]
    • Once Trump is a lame duck, a GOP “civil war” is inevitable.

7. Recent Legal and Electoral Setbacks for Trump

• [29:04]–[36:54]
  • Post-election, Trump’s aura of invincibility is diminishing. The Supreme Court’s skepticism regarding his tariffs and presidential powers signals his political vulnerability.
    • Kinzinger: “Our perception that Donald Trump is unstoppable with his power... the source of that was the Supreme Court. When the source... turns the tap off... what potentially could happen now.” [30:46]
    • Sykes: “I was very surprised by the arguments... is this a court that might actually draw a red line for Donald Trump? ...what does that do to that sort of impression of Donald Trump as... no guardrails, no check?” [32:21]
  • These developments could cut Trump’s power “in half” and re-energize the opposition.

8. Democratic Strategy and Future Leadership

• [36:54]–[43:03]
  • Praising centrist, “service-oriented” Democratic stars like Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger as models for broad-appeal candidates who can win swing states.
    • Kinzinger: “If I would have told you 10 years ago, a military pilot, an intelligence officer is running for Congress... those are Republicans...” [38:56]
  • Emphasizes the importance of substance and authenticity over making the campaign solely about Trump.
    • Kinzinger: “People demand genuineness... Be genuine about it... That’s the formula.” [42:32]
  • The Democratic Party, Kinzinger and Sykes argue, is more adaptable than the GOP, which is tightly bound to MAGA.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On McCarthy “Resurrecting” Trump:
  Kinzinger: “Kevin McCarthy shows up... it’s like the ambulance showing up to cardiac arrest and taking those paddles and bringing somebody back to life. And that’s what he frickin did.” [11:39]

• On Political Honor and Dem-Rep Alliances:
  Kinzinger: “If you truly, truly believe democracy is at stake, there is nothing else that can come in the way between alliances.” [16:54]

• On Electoral Setbacks and SCOTUS:
  Kinzinger: “Once the source of that feeling of unstoppability turns the tap off... that’s what potentially could happen now.” [30:46]

• On Genuineness in Politics:
  Kinzinger: “People demand genuineness... and I think they can sniff out disingenuous. So as Democrats, find those issues, go after Trump, don’t make it all about Trump. Talk about what people care about and be genuine about it.” [42:32]

• On Regret:
  Kinzinger: “I have deep regrets... I was trying to get the other nine impeachers to...take over the party...I think we had a fighting chance to win that fight.” [10:59]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:49 — Kinzinger on real-life vs. online confrontations
• 04:54 — The human dimension of “The Last Republican” movie
• 06:51 — Why the film is titled “The Last Republican”
• 07:35 — Emotional weight of January 6th, MAGA backlash
• 09:50 — Blaming Kevin McCarthy for Trump’s comeback
• 11:39 — McCarthy’s Mar-a-Lago visit and GOP inflection point
• 16:54 — On building alliances to defend democracy
• 19:38 — McCarthy’s failed California referendum campaign
• 21:57 — Dissecting Hispanic and Black male voting shifts
• 24:08 — Impact of viral ICE video brutality in the election
• 27:53 — Trump’s “third term” gambit and impending GOP fracture
• 30:46 — Supreme Court signals waning support for Trump’s unchecked power
• 38:56 — Democrats’ centrist leaders as future party models
• 42:32 — Importance of authenticity and practical policies
• 43:00 — Closing reflections, “you’re not the crazy ones”

Tone & Language

• The tone alternates between sardonic, deeply reflective, and urgent.
• Language is direct, at times profane, but always clear and authentic, emphasizing personal accountability and moral choice.
• Both speakers display a mixture of frustration, hopefulness, and a commitment to honest political engagement.

This summary encapsulates the wide-ranging discussion, delivering the essential arguments, memorable lines, and contextual insights—useful for anyone seeking to understand both Adam Kinzinger’s transformation and where the American political landscape stands post-2025.