Kinzinger noted that most of his GOP colleagues supported legislation passed last month that would make it easier for Afghan nationals who assisted the American military to apply for special immigrant visas. But the 16 House Republicans who voted against it “should be asked why they did,” he added.

“But what you see is in the media echo chamber, this fearmongering,” he continued. “This ‘They’re coming to your neighborhood, these hordes of people that haven’t been vetted.’”

“That is not American. You can always have questions with how this was executed, but America’s always been the country that opens our heart,” he said, adding that refugees in the U.S. have always worked and fought hard for success.

“If anybody wants to go out and fearmonger and continue that darkness in your heart and speaking it so you can win an election: A) you are either evil at your heart yourself, or, B) you’re a charlatan who’s only interested in winning reelection and you truly can’t say you care about the health of the American people.”