Adam Kinzinger gave a fantastic speech at the DNC.

Transcript: 

Hi, good evening. Good evening. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm Adam Kinzinger and I am proud to be in the trenches with you.

As part of this sometimes awkward alliance that we have.

To defend truth. Defend democracy and decency.

I was just a kid when I was drawn to the party of Ronald Reagan.

To his vision of a strong America, the shining city on a hill. I

was a Republican for 12 years in Congress, and I still hold on to

the label. I never thought I'd be here, but listen, you never thought

you'd see me here, did you? But

I've learned something about the Democratic Party. And I want to

let my fellow Republicans in on the secret.

The Democrats are as patriotic as us.

They love this country just as much as we do.

And they are as eager to defend American values at home and abroad

as we conservatives have ever been.

I was relieved to discover that because I've learned something about

my party too. Something I couldn't ignore.

The Republican Party is no longer conservative.

It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose

to a man whose only purpose is himself.

Donald Trump is a weak man pretending to be strong.

He is a small man pretending to be big.

He's a faithless man pretending to be righteous.

He's a perpetrator who can't stop playing the victim.

He puts on, listen, he he puts on quite a show, but there is no real

strength there. As a conservative and a veteran, I believe true strength

lies in defending the vulnerable. It's in protecting your family.

It's in standing up for our constitution and our democracy that That

is the soul of being a conservative. It used to be the soul of being

a Republican. But Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican

Party.

His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness,

sapping our strength, softening our spine, whipping us into a fever

that is untethered us from our values. Our democracy was frayed by

the events of January 6th as Donald Trump's deceit and dishonor led

to a siege on the United States Capitol. That day I stood witness

to a profound sorrow. The desecration of our sacred tradition of

peaceful transition of power, tarnished by a man too fragile. Too

vain and too weak to accept defeat.

Uh

How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried

to overthrow a free and fair election. How, how can a party claim

to stand for liberty if it sees a fight for freedom in Ukraine, an

attack pitting tyranny against democracy, a challenge to everything

our nation claims to be. And it retreats.

It equivocates. It nominates a man who is weirdly obsessed with Putin.

And his running mate, his running mate who said quote, I don't care

what happens in Ukraine. Yeah, he wants to be vice president, yeah.

How can a party claim to be conservative when it tarnishes the gifts

that our forebearers fought for. Men like my grandfather who served

in World War II. Who believed in a cause bigger than himself and

he risked his life for it behind enemy lines.

To preserve American democracy. His generation found the courage

to face down armies. Listen, all we're asked to do is to summon the

courage to stand up to one weak man.

Some

Some have questioned. Some have questioned why I've taken the stand

I have. The answer is really simple, ladies and gentlemen.

We must put country first.

And tonight

And tonight as a Republican speaking before you, I'm putting our

country first.

Because the fact is I do belong here. I know Kamala Harris shares

my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy.

And she is dedicated to help upholding all three in service to our

country. Whatever policies we disagree on pale in comparison with

those fundamental matters of principle of decency and of fidelity

to this nation.

Listen, My fellow Republicans.

If you still pledge allegiance to those principles. I suspect you

belong here too. Because

Because democracy knows no party. It's a

It's a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation.

It's the bedrock that separates us from tyranny, and when that foundation

is fractured. We must all stand together united to strengthen it.

If you think those principles are worth defending, then I urge you

make the right choice. Vote Vote for our bedrock values and vote

for Kamala Harris. God bless you.

Top Stories