Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) called out the “stupidity” of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) inviting far-right political strategist Steve Bannon on his podcast.
“I am in shock at the stupidity of [Newsom] inviting Steve Bannon on his podcast,” Kinzinger wrote in a social media post Wednesday.
Kinzinger, one of the few former GOP lawmakers who has taken a stand against the policies of President Donald Trump, was referring to a podcast hosted by Newsom that featured Bannon as a guest.
Bannon, who was a top adviser to Trump during the president’s first term, is a far-right nationalist who was accused last month of giving a Nazi salute at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
In a video, Kinzinger called Bannon “the author of this chaos we’re seeing right now.”
“Bannon is the one that says you need to ‘flood the zone with shit,’” Kinzinger said. “Bannon is the one that is basically the author of where we are and what Donald Trump wants. And because Gavin Newsom wants to run for president and thinks he’s going to be this healer, he brings on this nationalist. Many of us on the right sacrificed our careers taking these people on, and Newsom is trying to make a career with them. This is insane.”
In regard to the Bannon interview, Newsom told Politico: “I think we all agreed after the last election that it’s important for Democrats to explore new and unique ways of talking to people.”
Newsom also hosted far-right political commentator Charlie Kirk earlier this month. During that podcast, Newsom said he agreed with Kirk and the Republican Party’s stance on transgender girls and women in sports.
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On Thursday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) also criticized Newsom for hosting Bannon.
“I think that Governor Newsom bringing on different voices is great. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk and to debate just about anyone,” Beshear told reporters at a Democratic policy retreat in Virginia. “But Steve Bannon espouses hatred and anger, and even at some points violence, and I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.”