Kinzinger slams DCCC after Meijer loss for boosting right-wing challenger

• Kinzinger has criticized the DCCC ad, which aligned with Gibbs' own campaign messaging, for elevating the election denier and says it contributed to Meijer's loss.

What he's saying: "Don't keep coming to me, asking where are all the good Republicans that defend democracy, and then take your donors' money and spend half a million dollars promoting one of the worst election deniers that's out there," Kinzinger told CNN.

• "If Peter's opponent wins [in November], the Democrats own that," he said. "The DCCC needs to be ashamed of themselves."

Worth noting: The Meijer-Gibbs contest is one of several races in which Democrats have meddled on behalf of far-right candidates in hopes of securing a more favorable matchup in November, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports.

The big picture: At least six of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last year will not return next Congress — and that number is poised to rise.