Joining CNN as a political commentator this week is former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). The news network announced on Wednesday that it had hired the Illinois Republican who served on the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol incident.
CNN just hired Adam Kinzinger as a “senior political commentator.”
Once again, CNN is proving they are a far-left propaganda network.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 5, 2023
Anchor Erin Burnett announced Kinzinger’s hiring as he was set to appear Wednesday night in his new role. “I am pleased to welcome [Kinzinger] to CNN. He is appearing tonight in his new role, which is senior political commentator. Congressman, we really are thrilled to have you here on board,” Burnett stated.
“It’s great to be on the team, by the way. Thank you,” Kinzinger responded, further expressing feelings of excitement.
Kinzinger was one of the two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee, which served as a ladder to public prominence for him. Before the investigation, he was mostly under the radar, but having been selected on the committee, he became more active on social media, where his dislike for former President Donald Trump was very vocal.
After serving six terms in the House, Kinzinger announced that he would not run for reelection in the 2022 midterms, citing tribalism and extremism in the U.S. political system. Rather than seek to be reelected, Kinzinger opted for a new career as a senior political commentator, with CNN being his first step in the journey.
While this hiring comes as an unexpected turn, it is not a complete surprise, given Kinzinger’s rebranding within the past two years. With his position at CNN, he will likely continue his criticism of Trump and the GOP.
Kinzinger is known for being at the forefront of calls for the Justice Department to charge Trump alongside former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who is the other Republican on the committee. During one of the Jan. 6 committee’s early hearings, he accused the GOP of treating the investigation as “just another partisan fight.”
Kinzinger’s hiring is part of the change seen at CNN under new President Chris Licht, who has revealed his vision for the network’s programs and political coverage to adopt a less opinionated stance. To achieve his aim of dragging the cable news back to the political center, he has enabled several programming and personnel changes leaving Liberals in a fit of pique.
While Licht has promised reputational rehabilitation, the extent to which the network dubbed the “fake news media” will walk the path to quality and unbiased information is yet to be known.
