Ex-Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s Fiery Post to Allies: ‘We Don’t Like Trump… Name Will Be Similar to Benedict Arnold’ Sparks Backlash After Democratic Election Gains

Washington, D.C. — Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger ignited a firestorm Thursday with a blunt message to U.S. allies, declaring that Tuesday’s off-year election victories signal Americans’ rejection of President Donald Trump and a vow to eradicate “Trumpism,” likening the 47th president’s legacy to infamous traitor Benedict Arnold. The post, viewed over 250,000 times on X within 24 hours, has amplified Democratic jubilation while drawing fierce rebukes from Trump loyalists branding Kinzinger himself a betrayer.

“Dear Americas allies: We don’t like Trump. Tuesday made that clear. We will expel Trumpism over the next few years and the name Trump will be similar to Benedict Arnold,” Kinzinger wrote, tagging no one but clearly aimed at NATO partners and Ukraine amid Trump’s foreign aid skepticism. The Illinois conservative, who served on the Jan. 6 select committee and voted to impeach Trump twice, has repositioned as a CNN commentator and anti-MAGA crusader through his Country First PAC. His words landed hours after Democrats celebrated sweeping wins: flipping Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County council from Republican to Democratic control, securing New Jersey’s governorship for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, and holding Virginia’s despite GOP hopes.

Kinzinger’s timing tapped into a narrative of backlash against Trump’s second-term tumult. With the government shutdown now in its 38th day—the longest ever—over rescissions disputes, 2.3 million federal workers remain unpaid, food banks overflow, and SNAP benefits lag. Tariffs have inflated costs in Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania, where Luzerne voters cited “unhappy” national trends in flipping all five council seats up for grabs. The $1 trillion Medicaid cuts in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” threaten 500,000 Pennsylvanians alone, fueling turnout in working-class enclaves that backed Trump 59.5% in 2024.

Democrats seized the momentum. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries retweeted Kinzinger approvingly, calling it “a clarion call from principled conservatives.” On MSNBC, Joy Reid hailed the post as “history in the making,” tying it to off-year triumphs in Bucks County, Erie, and Allegheny. Polling from Marist shows 55% blame Republicans for the shutdown, with independents favoring Democrats by 12 points for 2026 midterms.

Republicans fired back with venom. Trump posted on Truth Social: “Crooked Adam Kinzinger, the real Benedict Arnold of the GOP, speaks for no one but his CNN paycheck. Americans love their President—Tuesday was local noise!” House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the wins as “blue-state predictable,” noting GOP holds in Florida and Ohio. On X, replies to Kinzinger exploded: “You are the Benedict Arnold,” one user wrote, amassing 1,500 likes; another quipped, “Half the country supports Trump—your ‘we’ is a lie.” Conservative firebrand Catturd2 mocked: “Kinzinger’s expulsion plan: Lose more elections.”

The Benedict Arnold comparison—evoking the Revolutionary War general who plotted to surrender West Point to the British—stung deeply in MAGA circles. Kinzinger, censured by Illinois Republicans in 2023 for his Trump probes, embodies the party’s civil war. Allies like Rep. Liz Cheney praised him on X: “Truth from a patriot.” Critics, including Sen. John Kennedy, retorted: “Focus on borders, not betrayals.”

Internationally, the post reverberated. Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova replied: “Grateful for American voices like yours—Slava Ukraini.” European outlets like The Guardian framed it as “U.S. resistance rising,” amid Trump’s pauses on Ukraine aid. Yet a YouGov poll shows 52% of Americans back Trump’s “America First” pivot, complicating Kinzinger’s claim to speak for the nation.

Kinzinger doubled down in a CNN appearance: “Tuesday wasn’t just wins—it was a mandate against isolationism and chaos. Allies, hold the line; we’ll reclaim our soul.” His PAC plans $50 million in 2026 ads targeting “Trumpist” Republicans in swing districts.

Skeptics see overreach. GOP strategist Matt Schlapp told Fox: “Local elections aren’t national referendums—Kinzinger’s fantasy ignores Trump’s 2024 landslide.” With shutdown talks faltering and tariffs biting, Democrats eye a “blue wave,” but Republicans point to held Senate seats and Trump’s approval ticking up to 49% in Rasmussen tracking.

Kinzinger’s missive crystallizes the divide: For one side, Trumpism is a cancer to excise; for the other, it’s the cure. As 2026 looms, his words aren’t just a post—they’re a battle cry in America’s ongoing reckoning. Will voters echo the expulsion, or entrench the king? Tuesday hinted at turbulence, but history’s verdict awaits.