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Ex-GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger questioned Donald Trump's religious beliefs after the former president released a Christmas message that sparked ridicule.
Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, took to his social media platform Truth Social to share Christmas messages to his supporters on Monday.
The posts, however, sparked ridicule for focusing on political and legal affairs, including attacks against President Joe Biden and Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has led the agency's investigations into his alleged election interference and alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump is facing four indictments, two of which are on charges related to election subversion. The former president, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP primary, has denied all the allegations against him in each case.
"Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden's ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against 'TRUMP' and 'MAGA,'" Trump wrote in one post.
He continued: "Included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and "sick" as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
Kinzinger, a Republican who represented districts in Illinois from 2011 to 2023, slammed the former president's Christmas message in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday morning.
"I'm going to go out on a NOT limb here: this man is not a Christian. If you are a Christian who supports him, you don't understand your own religion, Kinzinger wrote. "Trump is weak, meager, smelly, victim-ey, belly-achey, but he ain't a Christian and he's not 'Gods man.'"
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.
Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that politicians "normally keep their holiday messages positive and emphasize gratitude and hope for better days—and stay away from political conflicts."
"It suggests to me that he is seeing some internal polling he doesn't like, and is trying to use a more extreme version of the verbal tactics that worked for him in 2016 to reverse the recent trends," he said.
While serving in Congress, Kinzinger was among the 10 House Republicans who voted in support of impeaching Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building, when a group of the former president's supporters violently protested the 2020 presidential election results. Critics, including Kinzinger, say Trump's unfounded voter fraud claims motivated the rioters. The former president has always denied the accusations.
Kinzinger also served on the House committee investigating January 6 and has often faced attacks from Trump and his conservative allies. Kinzinger declined to run for reelection in 2022 as he positioned himself increasingly critical of the modern Republican Party.
Others also weighed in on Trump's Christmas posts.
"As a Christmas Day message, Trump told his perceived enemies to 'ROT IN HELL,' as part of a lengthy tirade. If you had a family member who went on rants like this, you would be having difficult conversations about what sort of assisted-living facility would be most appropriate," former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich wrote on X.
"Trump is currently having an ALL CAPS meltdown over on Truth Social on Christmas Day. Very stable genius," former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance posted.
"Trump wishing that his enemies 'rot in hell' on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth is the exact OPPOSITE of the gospel message of Christmas. Christians are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us," posted Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Republican.
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About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more