“Some have questioned why I’ve taken the stand I have. The answer is simple: We must put country first. And tonight, as a Republican speaking before you, I’m putting our country first,” Kinzinger said to applause. 

“Because the fact is—I do belong here. I know Kamala Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution and democracy. And she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country,” he said.

Kinzinger went on to explain that his differences of opinion with Harris on certain topics “pale in comparison with those fundamental matters of principle, of deficiency, of fidelity to this nation.”

“Democracy knows no party. It is a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation,” he said.

The former Congressman, who retired from the House in 2023, has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump over the years. He served on the House’s Jan. 6 select committee that investigated the insurrection. He was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack. 

Kinzinger slammed the former President in his speech, describing his role in the insurrection and whether he is truly patriotic. 

“Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party. His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness. Sapping our strength. Softening our spine. Whipping us into a fever that has untethered us from our values,” he said.

Ahead of the speech Kinzinger spoke to the Washington Examiner, urging fellow Republicans  to abandon former President Donald Trump in an effort to restore the party to what it used to be in the past. 

“I think the only way that the Republican party will wake up again is to recognize Trump is not a winning formula,” Kinzinger said, speaking to the Washington Examiner on the convention floor, acknowledging it’s going to take losing this cycle to pull the party out of Trump’s grasp.

As he stood on the floor, several delegates approached him asking for selfies and to shake his hand. He said he felt welcome despite being a Republican at a Democratic National Convention. 

“There’s just a lot of respect for each other here. Obviously, [Democrats] appreciate that I have spoken out. I appreciate the defense of democracy. And there’s a lot of energy. It’s amazing to me to see the amount of energy on the floor,” Kinzinger said.

Kinzinger went on to say he doesn’t recognize the current Republican party anymore, emphasizing his views have stayed consistent – the only thing that has changed is the leader at the top.

“The crazy thing is, if you look at what I believe and what I say, it’s been consistent, except for some maturity and growing up, a couple things, but it’s the party that has changed,” he said.

Kinzinger’s speech rounded out the remarks from Republicans who have spoken at the DNC, which included Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. In addition, a number of Republicans were sitting in the stands of the United Center and are actively working to get Harris elected.

Kinzinger, who still identifies as a Republican, said he understands if there are some fellow Republicans who aren’t able to cast their ballot for Harris.

“I get it. There’s nothing wrong with writing someone in, you deserve having someone you want to vote for,” he said. “The other thing is look, the issues we disagree on with the Democrats will still be there in 100 years. We are always going to have these debates.”

“The question is – can we really sustain half the country actually believing the election was stolen, can we sustain Ukraine losing to Russia, I don’t know.”