How does a congressman go from being endorsed as a “MAGA champion” by President Donald Trump to then leaving the party four years later and becoming the only independent in the U.S. House of Representatives?
“I’ve seen just how dysfunctional Congress has become because of the excessive partisanship that characterizes just everything here,” says Rep. Kevin Kiley – who recently left the Republican party to become an independent.
In this interview, Mehdi challenges Kiley on his decision to leave the Republican Party, specifically asking him whether it was because he is now running for re-election in one of the five California districts Governor Gavin Newsom gerrymandered in favor of Democrats.
The interview is insightful, revealing, and at times contentious. Here are some of the areas it covers:
Why Kiley accepted money from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Grow the Majority fundraising committee
What Kiley makes of the Republican party’s transformation into a cult of personality around Trump (“It is not a healthy thing for democracy,” Kiley says)
Why Kiley is against providing the Pentagon with more funding for the war on Iran
Kiley’s previous non-committal statements on the 2020 election results (“You couldn’t bring yourself to say Joe Biden won fair and square,” Mehdi says)
Kiley’s legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting and why he did not introduce it before Proposition 50 split up his district
Paid subscribers can watch the full 29-minute interview above, while free subscribers can access a 3-minute preview. Consider upgrading your subscription to never hit a Zeteo paywall again!
Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded before the House passed the latest war powers resolution.
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