The Last Republican

Adam Kinzinger has been dubbed a “RINO” (Republican in name only) because he did not show absolute fealty to Donald Trump. The GOP has worked itself into a peculiar place, where failing to toe the Trump-mandated line is greeted as a virtual betrayal. Such intense party unity gives them great power. But when independent thought is frowned upon, how long will that power be sustainable? Groupthink rarely leads to long-term success. This is one of the ideas Kinzinger grapples with in The Last Republican, a documentary that focuses on his shunning by the party he was once a shining star in.

Why would the conservative former Congressman agree to allow self-professed progressive filmmaker Steve Pink to profile him? The answer is simple: Hot Tub Time Machine. Kinzinger is apparently a fan of the director’s 2010 comedy. The match works because the two men acknowledge the vast difference in their political philosophies and subsequently challenge each other. Their humorous back-and-forth banter is one of the doc’s highlights.

Kinzinger sits for an interview about his banishment, offering reflective comments on the experience. Pink’s cameras are there while it happens, as well. We see Kinzinger dealing with colleagues and former friends turning their backs on him. His anxious staff members talk about the large volume of death threats coming into the office when the Jan. 6 commission begins its hearings. The nervousness as those hearings get underway is visible on his face as he wonders whether right-leaning Americans will even bother to listen to the evidence. On that level, The Last Republican is a gripping analysis of how Trump’s influence has risen to a cult-like level.

The film also contains a certain amount of heartbreak. On the evening of Jan. 6, once the insurrection was quelled, most Republicans took to the floor to blame Trump for inciting it. Kinzinger thought they’d seen the light, only to discover that they were ultimately all too eager to continue kissing the ring. He speaks openly and compellingly about the disbelief that accompanied the realization that his fellow GOP members, minus Liz Cheney, were not going to stand behind those words. It’s hard not to be impacted by his melancholy, particularly as his patriotism is called into question. When you’re trying to defend democracy, he wonders, how can you possibly be considered the “bad guy”?

Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, there’s no denying that Adam Kinzinger is a fascinating figure with a unique place in American politics. He stood up for what he felt was right, only to receive mockery and ridicule from people on his own side. The Last Republican shows great respect for his willingness to buck the trend, while simultaneously allowing its subject to help us understand what it’s like to be cast out. This is a trenchant political documentary that speaks meaningfully to the moment in history where one party decided that loyalty to a single man was more important than loyalty to the country.


out of four

The Last Republican is unrated but contains strong language. The running time is 1 hour and 30 minutes.


© 2024 Mike McGranaghan