27-year-old former 'anti-AOC' Trump aide challenges Rep. Adam Kinzinger, calls him a 'weak-kneed, establishment Republican'
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who has been a staunch critic of Donald Trump for years, will face a primary challenge by a former aide for the Trump administration. This week, Catalina Lauf launched her bid to oust Kinzinger by slamming the congressman as a "weak-kneed, establishment Republican."
Catalina Lauf previously served in the Trump administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Now, the pro-Trump 27-year-old Lauf is preparing her own "America First" campaign against Kinzinger, whom she calls a "fake Republican," in Illinois' 16th Congressional District.
"I never thought I'd primary a fellow Republican, but is Congressman Kinzinger really a Republican anymore? He isn't and we have the proof," Lauf says in her video campaign announcement that was released Tuesday.
Lauf slams Kinzinger as a "weak-kneed, establishment Republican" who "cares more about his next MSNBC appearance than the voters who elected him."
She claims that Kinzinger voted in line with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "one in three votes."
"Instead of being in our fight, Adam betrayed his constituents for a life in the D.C. swamp," Lauf says in the video that has over 570,000 views.
Lauf bashes Kinzinger for supporting a "phony impeachment hoax for a president who has already left office."
Kinzinger was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to charge Trump with inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in his impeachment trial.
Lauf slams Kinzinger in the video while calling for term limits, "He said impeachment was 'necessary to save America.' What? You know what I think is necessary to save America, Adam? Setting term limits for people like you and the rest of your friends out. Six terms in Congress is enough."
Lauf may have Kinzinger's own family voting against him in the upcoming primary. There were 11 members of Kinzinger's family who sent him a two-page letter lambasting him for voting in favor of charging Trump for the Capitol riot.
"Oh my, what a disappointment you are to us and to God," Kinzinger's family wrote in a joint letter. "You have embarrassed the Kinzinger family name!"
"Adam Kinzinger cares more about getting points with the woke media than representing the people of Illinois," she tweeted.
Lauf wrote on Twitter, "Republicans like Liz Cheney and my opponent Adam Kinzinger should be playing no role in the future of the party or our country!"
Cheney, another Republican member of Congress who voted to charge Trump with inciting an insurrection, will also face a primary opponent that also supports the former president.
Political strategist Corey Lewandowski, who was the campaign manager for a portion of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. retweeted Lauf's video and wrote, "Strong candidate in @CatalinaLauf."
Fake Republican Adam Kinzinger won’t put AMERICA FIRST— I will.That’s why I’m challenging him for his seat in Con… https://t.co/BLI3NvtMCW— Catalina Lauf (@Catalina Lauf)1614121201.0
Lauf's platform includes tackling election integrity, gun rights, social media censorship, freedom of speech, illegal immigration, and "keeping the economy going."
Lauf told the Chicago Sun-Times, "This will be the number one, number two most watched race this cycle. This is going to be big, because people are very engaged and people are very upset at everything that has been happening over the last six months."
In March 2020, Lauf ran for Congress in the 14th Congressional District of Illinois, a district outside of Chicago. She captured 20% of the vote in the election, finishing third in a field of seven candidates. Former state Sen. Jim Oberweis won the GOP primary, but was ultimately defeated by Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood by less than 2%.
Lauf, who bills herself an "anti-AOC," prides herself as the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant mother and father who is a small-business owner.
She worked on the 2018 re-election campaign for former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who lost to Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
Last August, Lauf and her sister Madeline were featured in a video on the opening night of last year's Republican National Convention, where they applauded the Trump administration's assistance to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH: Small business owner speaks about Trump administration's support during COVID-19 www.youtube.com