GOP congressman describes what a coup would be like: 'There’s gonna be death'

Repreprestative Adam Kinzinger (R - IL) appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday where he responded to the growing sentiment among some supporters of former President Donald Trump, calling for a military coup to oust President Biden. This comes on the heels of former Trump National Security Advisor and retired Army general Michael Flynn saying over the weekend that there should be a coup in the U.S.

“A lot of people, you know, imagine that a coup or an armed insurrection is just going to be like camping out with the boys. It's going to be a great time drinking some PBRs. That's not true,” Kinzinger said. “There’s gonna be death, and that death is gonna be people you love.”

Kinzinger went on to address the belief among some Trump supporters that the military would be on their side if there were to be a government overthrow.

“It's time that we get past fetishizing the violence in this. It’s time that we get past fetishizing this idea of overthrowing the government, and the second amendment encouraging us to overthrow the government,” Kinzinger said. “That is reserved for times, frankly, if there is a military coup, which won’t happen because no military member in the United States military that takes the oath seriously would participate.”

Video Transcript

ADAM KINZINGER: It's time that we get past fetishizing the violence in this. It's time that we get past fetishizing this idea of overthrowing the government and the Second Amendment encouraging us to overthrow the government, that is reserved for times, frankly, if there is a military coup.

KYLIE MAR: Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday, where he spoke about remarks made by retired Army general and former President Trump's first National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who said at an event over the weekend that there should be a Myanmar-style coup in the US, which was met with applause.

ADAM KINZINGER: A lot of people imagine that a coup or an armed insurrection is just going to be like camping out with the boys. It's going to be a great time, or drinking some PBRs. That's not true. There's going to be death, and that death is going to be people that you love.

KYLIE MAR: As the desire for a coup is a growing sentiment among some supporters of the former president, Kinzinger says they would be giving up things they take for granted.

ADAM KINZINGER: If you get medicine from your local pharmacy, if you like to put gas in your car, you know, any of those luxuries that you have today, you like to get on the internet, all that will be gone if this government collapses.

KYLIE MAR: And Kinzinger blames fellow Republicans who refuse to tell the truth about the January 6th insurrection and the 2020 election for the recent calls to overthrow the government.

ADAM KINZINGER: But you have people with this fetish for like an overthrow violence thing, and it's being fed by leaders that just don't want to tell them the truth because it may be harder to tell them the truth than it is to just go along with this.