
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 19: U.S. Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) participates in the last meeting of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Canon House Office Building on Capitol Hill on December 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee is Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Stockholm syndrome runs too deep in the GOP for escape.
Adam Kinzinger isn’t exactly tiptoeing around his criticism of the GOP these days.
Kinzinger’s frustration is palpable — and, let’s be honest, a little bit cathartic for those who’ve been watching Republicans tie themselves in knots to justify Trump’s policies. In a pointed post on X, Kinzinger asked how much longer Republicans could pretend that Trump’s economic strategy was worthy of admiration. The answer, as he well knows, is probably “for as long as the base demands it.”
Of course, Kinzinger has long been labeled a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) by his former colleagues and the MAGA faithful. He broke ranks with the party on Trump’s election lies, voted for his impeachment, and served on the January 6 Committee. But Kinzinger’s critique goes beyond the usual political infighting. He’s not just saying Trump’s policies were bad; he’s saying they were a long-term disaster, one that Republicans will eventually have to reckon with as the economic chickens come home to roost.
The U.S. job market’s recent slowdown is grim enough, but revisions to employment data from earlier months paint an even bleaker picture. With nearly a quarter-million fewer jobs than initially reported, hiring has slowed to levels not seen since the pandemic’s darkest days. The U.S. economy added only 73,000 new jobs in July, far below expectations. Job creation for May and June was revised downward by a staggering 258,000 jobs combined. Now, the pace of job growth is the weakest since 2020.
Adding to the economic uncertainty is the Federal Reserve’s cautious stance on interest rates. Despite pressure from Trump to cut rates during his presidency, the Fed has held firm, citing the need to assess the broader economic impact of tariffs.
A key point of contention is Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs, which he once described as the ultimate tool to level the playing field with China and other trading partners. Meanwhile, Trump himself is busy blaming everyone else— most recently threatening to fire the federal official in charge of labor statistics, accusing her of “faking” the numbers. Clearly, Republicans are now stuck with the economic mess they helped create, and it’s not clear how long they can keep passing the blame around.
Published: Aug 3, 2025 01:46 pm