‘Fascist Cosplay’ Shows a ‘Weak, Clownish Pretender’: Ex-GOP Lawmaker Exposes Trump’s Weakness

Former Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) in a recent incendiary piece on his Substack handle, blasted Donald Trump, explaining that the former president's 'fascist cosplay', only serves to highlight the shallow and ineffective leader he truly is. Kinzinger, one of the few Republicans on the House Select Committee looking into the attack on January 6, has been a longtime opponent of Trump and the overall direction of the Republican party, as reported by Raw Story.

On Substack, Kinzinger wrote, "As he campaigned for president last week Donald Trump turned up the volume on his authoritarian message. He followed the well-known blueprint for dictatorship, which included dehumanizing outsiders, predictions of violence, and dramatic warnings about a supposed emergency facing the nation."

Kinzinger's criticism echoes Democrat's criticism of Trump over the ex-President's assertions that immigrants aren't even human and his threat of a 'bloodbath' if he isn't elected. Additionally, Kinzinger also pointed out that something is lacking from Trump's authoritarian spectacle. "Trump is doing all the things that would-be autocrats do as they campaign for power, and this should scare the hell out of us," he wrote.

"However, he is also doing it in a style that echoes with weakness and looks a little like cosplay. Outside on a windy day in Ohio, he donned a red ballcap to protect his precious hair and struggled to rouse the crowd. Frustrated, he reached for profanity but even that didn’t energize his audience," Kinzinger wrote, explaining that Trump seems to be overcompensating because inside, it seems he may be weak. "It's not a one-off either," he noted, adding that Trump supporters seem to be "getting bored of the schtick that seems little changed since their man crashed onto the political stage in 2015."

In the end, Kinzinger said, Trump remains dangerous despite his increased vulnerability. "Trump’s backers intend to create a government in his image, which will regard his opponents as enemies to be vanquished, bring outsiders to heel, smash so-called conspiracies, and make America into a land of Trumpian fantasy," Kinzinger wrote. He added, "Say what you will about the weak, clownish pretender who you see on the campaign trail. Trump still wants the power of a dictator and his team is preparing to give it to him."

Kinzinger warned that while Trump may be tired, have bad speech delivery, or make recurrent gaffes, he "still reaches his supporters with a promise of one-man rule that will ease their fears and make a mythical past real today." He added, "The masses don’t know his delivery is faltering or that the laugh lines often fall flat. They don’t hear the repetition and stale slogans that make him sound like a pretender. All they know is that their man is trying to make a comeback and they can do their part come Election Day."