'He has long been there': Internet weighs in as Adam Kinzinger claims RFK Jr's campaign 'hijacked by MAGA'

Adam Kinzinger shared his thoughts on why Robert F Kennedy Jr might be echoing Donald Trump's rhetoric regarding convicted Capitol Hill rioters
Adam Kinzinger slammed Robert F Kennedy Jr's for sympathizing with Capitol Hill rioters (Getty Images)
Adam Kinzinger slammed Robert F Kennedy Jr's for sympathizing with Capitol Hill rioters (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Republican Rep Adam Kinzinger accused independent presidential contender Robert F Kennedy Jr's campaign of being "hijacked by MAGA" on Friday, April 5, as per The Hill.

RFK Jr drew backlash for echoing former President Donald Trump in an April 4 fundraising email where he labeled the rioters in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack "activists," arguing they were victims of an "outrageous miscarriage of justice."

"His campaign has been hijacked by MAGA," declared Kinzinger in an interview with CNN's Kaitlin Collins.

Adam Kinzinger speculates that RFK Jr might truly believe in Donald Trump's conspiracies

Weighing in on RFK Jr mirroring Trump's supposed conspiracy theories, the former GOP Illinois lawmaker presumed the independent White House hopeful might not be hijacked by MAGA; instead, he might be voluntarily repeating their views.

He claimed, "Maybe not 'hijacked,' maybe voluntarily. And so, you're gonna start seeing more and more of this kind of Donald Trump conspiracies, and he's either going along with it, because that's gonna help him raise money and get notoriety, or he truly believes it. Regardless, he's absolutely wrong, and this is a frightening thing." 

PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA - JULY 1: Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at a campaign event on July 1, 2023, in Pickens, South Carolina. The former president faces a growing list of Republican primary challengers. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Donald Trump has often empathized with the convicted January 6 rioters, claiming their prosecution was politically motivated (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

RFK Jr's email drew parallels between the convicted January 6 rioters and the plight of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently facing extradition to the US, arguing both parties, along with whistleblower Edward Snowden, were "stripped of their Constitutional liberties."

However, the RFK Jr's campaign spokesperson, Stephanie Spear, dismissed the email, saying it was an error that a new marketing contractor inserted without approval.

Previously, in a separate statement, the independent presidential candidate had mirrored Trump's claims about the imprisoned January 6 convicts by claiming that their prosecution might be politically motivated.

BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 29: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy,
Robert F Kennedy Jr's remarks regarding the January 6 insurrection have been under scrutiny (Getty Images)

Further into the CNN interview, Kinzinger responded to RFK Jr calling President Joe Biden a "much worse threat to democracy" than Trump.

The former GOP congressman noted, "You can dislike Joe Biden, like, but you can't with a straight face — this isn't even… I mean, it's not even subjective, this is like fact."

Defending Biden, Kinzinger added, "You can't with a straight face say that Joe Biden's a bigger danger to democracy. Joe Biden has gone along with democracy as he's president, he's gone along with the rules of democracy. He's not trying to overthrow any election results." 

Democrats are viewing RFK Jr's independent race with concern due to the possibility of it taking away votes from Biden, which could help Trump win in November, according to ABC News.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 01: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a primetime speech at I
Robert F Kennedy Jr claimed President Joe Biden was a worse threat to democracy than Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Internet reacts to Adam Kinzinger's remarks regarding RFK Jr

One remarked, "'Hijacked' suggests it started in one form and was then changed. Nope! It was MAGA all the time," and another added, "RFK Jr wasn't hijacked by MAGA. He had long since already been there."

A person shared, "It hasn't been hijacked by anyone. It started exactly as it was desired and remains such."

"Nothing was hijacked here--he's always believed in conspiracies and so have MAGA. This is who they are and a very good reason not to vote for them," expressed someone else. 

An individual opined, "Given to them willingly," while one more questioned, "Is there a really a difference between MAGA and Kennedy?" 

Another person argued, "It wasn’t hijacked by MAGA, it was created by MAGA." One remark simply read, "Kennedy = MAGA lite."



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Trump's remarks came after a White House official reportedly warned that Zacharia needed to improve quickly or risk losing her job, just hours after her debut briefing
2026-10-16T18:50:09.000Z
Former Clinton adviser James Carville told Democrats to sharpen their messaging and advance legislation popular with voters
2026-10-16T17:50:04.000Z
President Donald Trump reportedly consulted allies on whether to fire longtime Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and appoint a replacement
2026-10-16T16:42:09.000Z
WH counsel told a judge Trump invoked executive privilege to shield communications with advisers and Kennedy Center employees over official duties
2026-10-16T08:01:26.000Z
So far, Donald Trump has not endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel's October 27 election
2026-10-16T07:18:58.000Z
According to FEC filings, Elon Musk contributed $75 million to the Senate Leadership Fund on September 9 and another $83 million on September 23
2026-10-16T06:26:37.000Z
Marco Rubio questioned how many political candidates could win elections by promising to put America’s interests behind those of other countries
2026-10-16T05:58:53.000Z
Virginia contractor Agile1Tech’s initial $22,000 contract was expanded by $27,600 to cover three additional chandeliers
2026-10-16T05:38:23.000Z
The tense exchange unfolded during a healthcare event in Virginia Beach, where Kennedy appeared alongside Republican Rep Jennifer Kiggans
2026-10-16T05:18:48.000Z
Donald Trump said he had declined criminal investigations into political rivals but hinted another impeachment attempt could change his stance
2026-10-16T05:15:07.000Z