Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country - Hardcover

by Adam Kinzinger (Author), Michael D'Antonio (Author)INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Adam Kinzinger captures one of the most transformative periods in recent political history in a riveting, personal account from inside Congress, including the January 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol and his vote to impeach Donald Trump. "Kinzinger deemed that silence was not an option, and that it was more important to take a stand than to take a seat in Congress. That made him an endangered species: a politician with a conscience and a backbone. You don’t have to agree with his position on the issues to admire his integrity and strength of character. . . Renegade can be read as both a cautionary tale and a morality tale. . . Either way, as Kinzinger spells it out, danger lurks." - New York Journal of Books "The author delivers a compelling insider’s view of the chaos of Congress, from the partying . . . to the laborious, often failed efforts to get measures approved on the floor. He offers piercing critiques of the most damaging obstructionists . . . and he shines a favorable light on John Boehner, praising him for his ability to get things done. . . Kinzinger’s outspoken crusade culminated in his participation in the Jan. 6 hearings, and he provides an in-depth perspective on the details involved in that investigation. A sharp assessment of the dark threat to democracy posed by the Trump-controlled GOP." - Kirkus Reviews On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump incited a violent mob to storm the US Capitol in attempts to overturn the presidential election. It was a betrayal of our Constitution, and one of the darkest days in recent history. Yet to former congressman Adam Kinzinger it was also the culmination of a cultural and political rupture he'd long seen coming. Constructive criticism from within the Republican Party was no longer enough. It was time to stand up, even if it meant betraying his own party. In Renegade, Kinzinger tells his story of faith, service, and political duty in a democracy under siege. From the small Illinois county board where he got his start, to his years in the Air Force flying tanker missions over Iraq, to his final tumultuous term in Congress as one of the few Republican members to vote to impeach Trump and join the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Kinzinger takes readers inside the most critical moments and pivotal decisions of the last years. The result is both a searing examination of the rise of extremism and the GOP's subsequent descent into a dysfunctional and destructive force, and a rousing call to return to unity. Raw, provocative, and clear-eyed, Renegade captures one of the most transformative periods in recent American history. Author Biography ADAM D. KINZINGER served in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023, representing Illinois' Sixteenth Congressional District. During his tenure, he served on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, as well as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to being elected to Congress, Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard and a Senior Political Commentator on CNN.