Adam Kinzinger Teases a Run Against Ted Cruz?
Bulwark Takes
The Bulwark
4.7 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 November 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sam Stein sits down with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger at the Texas Tribune Festival to talk about “The Last Republican,” how the GOP became a personality cult, what January 6 did to his family, McCarthy’s surrender in Mar-a-Lago, the DOJ’s failures, and why winning back ex-MAGA voters means not shaming them. Kinzinger also weighs in on Trump’s $400M Qatar jet deal, corruption, his future in Texas politics, and whether he’d ever take on Ted Cruz.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey guys, I'm here in downtown Austin, in the shadow of the state capital. |
| 0:06.0 | Just finished up a panel conversation with Adam Kinzinger at the Tribune Festival. |
| 0:12.0 | It was awesome. Great conversation. We talked about everything. He's got a new movie out about him |
| 0:16.9 | called The Lesh Republican. We touched on that. What it's like to be in public office. |
| 0:21.3 | The stress it puts on your family. What Democrats think to be doing in this moment to reach |
| 0:26.2 | Republicans, reform Republicans, Maga Republicans, anything. And what his future has in store. |
| 0:32.3 | He hinted. He hinted that he might make a run against Ted Cruz in the Senate. |
| 0:38.3 | Don't take my word for him. Watch the video. Hope you enjoy it. Talk to you soon. |
| 0:42.3 | Hi, everybody. |
| 0:46.2 | Oh, you guys are nice. Thank you. |
| 0:50.0 | If Chris Murphy's still watching, I'll note you got a bigger applause. |
| 0:55.0 | Thank you, everybody. |
| 0:56.1 | That was important for me. |
| 0:57.6 | It actually was. I know that for a fact. |
| 1:02.4 | Hello, everyone. |
| 1:03.7 | I'm back. |
| 1:05.6 | Join by former congressman Adam Kinsinger, |
| 1:08.5 | who you may or may not know there is a movie out about |
| 1:15.5 | Adam's last year in Congress. |
| 1:19.3 | A little bit of drama was happening around that time. |
| 1:23.8 | And I encourage people to actually seriously watch it. |
| 1:27.1 | It's called The Last Republican. |
... |
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