'The Last Republican' tells human story behind Kinzinger's defiance

[September 11, 2024]  By Atsuko Kitayama

TORONTO (Reuters) - "The Last Republican," a documentary about former U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger, profiles the Republican who angered many in his party for his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump.

The film, which is debuting at this month's Toronto International Film Festival, follows Kinzinger in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In the months that follow, Kinzinger says he wants to hold Trump accountable for crossing "a red line" after the outgoing president encouraged his supporters to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

Director Steve Pink said he was interested in shedding light on the human element of the decision by Kinzinger, then a conservative Republican congressman from Illinois, to defy Trump and risk being ostracized by his own party.

"That part of the story ... isn't political at all, but it could translate to anyone who is faced with having to make a difficult decision that would have consequences, but they feel they've got to do it on principle," Pink said in an interview with Reuters.

Following the deadly Capitol attack, Kinzinger voted in favor of impeaching Trump and became one of two Republicans - alongside Liz Cheney - to serve on the House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. That led the Republican National Committee to censure him in 2022, calling the probe an attack on "legitimate political discourse." In October 2021, Kinzinger said he would not seek reelection.

In this year's presidential election, Kinzinger, now a TV commentator, is supporting the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. This week he said he would accept a post in her cabinet if she wins in November and offers him a role.

Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) appears in a scene from the documentary film "The Last Republican" in an undated photograph. Joshua Salzman/Handout via REUTERS.

The documentary is a departure of sorts for Pink, who is best known for his 2010 science fiction comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine."

The relationship between the liberal director and the conservative former congressman evolved over the course of their collaboration, which they said they believed added richness to the film.

Kinzinger found their differences to be refreshing and engaging. "If he agreed with me on every issue, what are we going to talk about?" he said during a Q&A on Sunday, after the screening in Toronto.

"Get to know somebody that thinks differently than you, because you'll realize it's actually pretty interesting and fun," he added.

With the presidential election less than two months away, concerns surrounding the polarization of U.S. politics are intensifying.

"There's no society or country that works when it's divided," Pink said. "So we need to figure out how to come together if we want to have a democracy. That's the message of the movie."

(Reporting by Atsuko Kitayama in Toronto, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.