Adam Kinzinger says baby boomers 'hate each other' and 'are stuck' in the same political fights

• Rep. Kinzinger said in a recent podcast that Baby Boomers are "stuck" in the same political fights.
• While speaking with Crain's Chicago Business, the congressman lamented the current state of government.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger said in a podcast released on Monday that younger generations will have to push for a "radical awakening" in the United States because Baby Boomers "hate each other" and are "stuck" in the same political fights.

During an interview with Crain's Chicago Business, the 43-year-old Illinois Republican — who is retiring from Congress next year after six terms — made the statement while speaking about the rancor that has enveloped the lawmaking process in Washington, DC.

When Kinzinger was asked by Crain's A.D. Quig if he felt as "down" about antics in the House as he does toward the functioning of the Senate, he was blunt in his assessment.

"Obviously, being in the Senate would be a whole different game because you have a little more power and you have — kind of a platform. The Senate, to me, feels almost as dysfunctional — although I have not seen any senators yet tweet creepy anime videos where they're killing people, and then racist stuff. I don't feel like it's too far behind," he said.

Kinzinger was referring to Rep. Paul Gosar, the Arizona Republican who earlier this month posted an animated video on social media that was edited to depict him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and brandishing swords at President Joe Biden. The congressman has also been vocal in criticizing GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado for making Islamophobic remarks about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

During the podcast interview, Kinzinger stressed that younger generations would have to pick up the mantle and tackle the country's biggest issues.

"I think the country has been in this kind of position before, but there's got to be a radical awakening. It's going to be my generation and younger that changes things," he said.

He continued: "Frankly, the baby boomers are stuck in their same fights over and over. They hate each other. They've hated each other for a long time. It's going to take the younger generation to change all of this. Hopefully, the baby boomers can keep this together until we take larger power."

Baby boomers are generally defined as people who were born between 1946 and 1964.

Kinzinger, who serves on the House panel investigating the January 6 insurrection, was one of only 10 House Republicans who crossed party lines to support former President Donald Trump's impeachment for "incitement of insurrection" over his role in the Capitol riot.

The congressman has been one of the few House conservatives to consistently denounce Trump's unsubstantiated claims regarding the 2020 presidential election being rigged and stolen from him.