‘Building real guardrails and passing law’: Did Adam Kinzinger just announce he’s running for president?

Adam Kinzinger, the former Republican congressman turned staunch Trump critic, has once again stirred the political pot with a tweet that has some folks wondering if he’s eyeing the White House in 2028.

Kinzinger recently tweeted, “The next president has to do two things: 1) right the wrongs of Trump and go after those who broke the law and were corrupt. 2) Then spend time divesting power from the presidency and building real guardrails and passing laws like, ‘the president is not immune’ etc. Oh and get the money out of politics.”

While he didn’t explicitly announce a presidential run, the boldness of this statement has sparked chatter about his political future. I mean, that’s practically a campaign slogan, right? But is Kinzinger really gearing up for a run, or is he just playing the role of reform-minded rabble-rouser? Let’s break it down.

How realistic is POTUS Kinzinger?

The tweet reads like a mini campaign manifesto, outlining two major goals for the next president: accountability and reform. It’s the kind of messaging that fires up a certain segment of the electorate — the folks who want someone to stand up to Trumpism while also tackling the broader systemic issues in American politics.

The first part of his tweet hits a familiar Kinzinger note: holding Trump and his allies accountable. As a member of the House committee that investigated the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Kinzinger has long argued that the former president should be held responsible for his role in the insurrection and other alleged misdeeds. He’s called for transparency, the rule of law, and integrity in government — not exactly the stuff of subtlety.

The second part is where it gets really interesting. Kinzinger calls for “divesting power from the presidency” and passing laws to prevent future abuses of executive authority. This includes establishing clearer boundaries on presidential immunity and reducing the influence of big money in politics.

For a guy who’s spent the past few years blasting both parties for their failures, this tweet reads like a clear vision for systemic change — or, you know, a platform.

Already door knocking “for his future run for President”

Kinzinger left Congress in 2023. Since then, he’s remained a vocal commentator, joining CNN as a political analyst and authoring a book that critiques his party’s direction. But does that mean he’s ready to mount a presidential bid?

The path would be steep. Kinzinger’s stance against Trump has made him a hero to some but a pariah to others in the GOP. His voting record, which largely aligned with conservative priorities before the Trump years, complicates his appeal to Democrats. And independent bids, while intriguing, are historically tough in America’s two-party system.

Discourage further corruption!

Even if Kinzinger isn’t angling for the Oval Office, his tweet reflects a growing frustration with the outsized power of the executive branch and the corrupting influence of money in politics — issues that resonate across the political spectrum.

So, did Kinzinger just announce his candidacy? Not exactly. But he did lay down a marker for the kind of leader he believes America needs. Whether that leader will be him or someone else remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Kinzinger wing of American politics isn’t fading quietly into the night.

For now, we’ll keep our eyes on his Twitter feed and his public appearances for any more hints. Because, hey, stranger things have happened in American politics.