Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), who is one of Donald Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics, used a weekend thread on Threads to eviscerate what he slammed as the president’s fake tough-guy image.
“Let’s talk about what real strength looks like — and how Trump’s MAGA ‘alpha male’ act is the opposite of it,” Kinzinger began, calling the persona “a mask for insecurity” and “an armor for men terrified of looking small.”
Read the entire thread on Threads.
“Real confidence doesn’t need to shout. It doesn’t need gold-plated buildings, fake bravado, or endless insults. It doesn’t tremble at the thought of someone else living differently,” he wrote.
The former pilot and combat veteran contrasted Trump’s bravado with the “real warriors” he served alongside, who, he said, knew “strength is proven in action, not hashtags.”
“MAGA’s ‘alpha’ routine is a giant tell: a loud cover for low self-esteem,” he added.
Kinzinger was one of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his incitement of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, following his defeat to now-former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The lawmaker also served on the House committee that investigated the insurrection, much to Trump’s fury. A regular target of the president, Kinzinger has acknowledged that the president may try to have him criminally charged.