Kinzinger gives a pep talk: 'This isn't forever'

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a vocal critic of President-elect Trump, sought to give a pep talk Wednesday after Trump's victory in the White House race.

“Everybody keep your heads up,” Kinzinger wrote in a post on the social platform X. “This isn’t forever, and after America gets a taste of what it voted for, there will likely be a massive backlash.”

“There will be lots of time to come, and I’m still in the trenches with you,” he added. “Just going to take a bit longer.”

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, among others, called the race for Trump early Wednesday, marking a historic comeback for the GOP nominee after his loss to President Biden in 2020. His victory over Vice President Harris, paired with Republicans' flip of the Senate, has rattled Democrats and those opposed to another Trump presidency across the nation.

Kinzinger was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He also served on the House panel that later investigated the insurrection before he left Congress last year.

The Illinois Republican, along with former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), had backed Harris in her bid for the presidency.

Trump told his backers early Wednesday morning that the U.S. had given him and his party “a powerful and unprecedented mandate.”

“This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have," he said. "This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again."

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.