Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Tuesday shared profanity-laced threats and other profanity his office received during hearings by a House select committee on the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Donald supporters Trump. “Threats of violence against politics have increased greatly in recent years,” Kinzinger tweeted. “But darkness has reached new lows. My new interns made this compilation of recent calls they received while serving in my DC office.” Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the two Republicans on the bipartisan panel, have taken much of the criticism from supporters of the former president for their focus on Trump’s responsibility for the insurgency and warnings that Trump is a threat to the democracy. Capitalizing on Trump’s false claims of a rigged election, the mob tried and failed to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory. In February, the Republican National Committee criticized Kinzinger and Cheney for their involvement in the January 6 panel, saying the panel prosecuted “ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political speech.” Kinzinger tweeted some of the recordings compiled by high school and college students who interned for him this summer and invited readers to listen to the attacks. One caller said he hopes Kinzinger dies quickly, while another called him a fake backstab for being on the committee. The callers left racist comments and questioned the facts of the investigation, while wishing harm to the MP’s family. “I’m coming to protest in front of your house this weekend,” one message said. “We know where your family is.” “I will take your wife. I’ll take your kids,” added the caller. Other angry voicemails threatened Kinzinger’s mother, while another targeted Cheney. A woman wished Kinzinger to suffer. Last month, Kinzinger tweeted a copy of a threatening letter his wife received that attacked the lawmaker. “I had never seen and never had anything like this. Sent from the region,” he said of the letter which read in part, “this pimp you married has not only broken his oath, but sold his soul.” GOP member of Jan. 6 committee warns of more violence to come The hearings featured videos of rioters storming the Capitol while shouting violent threats aimed at Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The committee has warned that there could be more violence in the future from Trump supporters who did not accept the election results. And Kinzinger has suggested that the RNC encourages such threats. “There’s violence in the future, I’ll tell you,” Kinzinger said in June on ABC’s “This Week.” “And until we can tell people the truth, we can’t expect otherwise.” As the only Republicans serving on the Jan. 6 committee, Kinzinger and Cheney have been accused of being traitors to their party. The former president’s supporters are increasingly showing little patience for Republicans who side with Democrats on any issue that could be seen as undermining the goals of the GOP, where Trump remains one of the most popular politicians. GOP Rep. Fred Upton receives death threats after voting for bipartisan infrastructure deal Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) received multiple death threats in November after he voted in favor of President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal. The lawmaker said the calls came after a tweet by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted the phone numbers of the 13 GOP lawmakers who voted for the legislation.
