We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

Retiring Rep. Annie Kuster, a Democrat, fired parting shots at virtually everybody in D.C. during an interview this week, starting with President-elect Donald Trump.

“I’ve said somewhat facetiously, he tried to kill me once, I’m not available for that again,” she told The Boston Globe. “What we went through on Jan. 6 and his attempt to overthrow the government took a toll. That was really hard, and not just personally, but on my ability to work across the aisle.”

Next up was DOGE co-chair Elon Musk, whom she appears to blame for tanking the infamous “cromnibus” that the GOP-led House had originally been set to pass before he and others complained.

“[It’s] a big part of the reason to leave,” she said. “There’s a theme developing when billionaires make decisions about hard-working families’ lives, it comes out just mean. It’s cold-hearted.”

Kuster then moved on to gently bashing President Joe Biden, revealing that she announced her retirement decision in March partly because she had a suspicion he’d lose the 2024 election to Trump.

This became especially obvious to her “after a trip to New Hampshire with Biden on Air Force One earlier that month during which said she spent an hour with him and began to doubt his ability to win reelection,” according to the Globe.

“Just in my heart, [I] reached the conclusion that this would be a very challenging campaign for him, and to put himself out there for another four-year term was going to be a struggle,” she noted.

Then after the president’s disastrous June debate with Trump, she reportedly held an online conference call with Biden and several other Democrats. According to the Globe, the call grew “tense” as the other Democrats began questioning his fitness for office.

“It was painful,” Kuster said of the call. “I haven’t had these kind of conversations since I talked to my own parents about, you know, their aging and their limitations.”

“It was hard for me at that time, like, What can one person do? You know, I did talk with people about [it] and talked with the campaign, it’s just hard to know looking back on it,” she added.

The outspoken Democrat even took shots at her colleagues, especially the older ones who refused to step down and let the next generation take over. In fact, this is another reason she’s retiring.

“I’m trying to set a better example,” she said. “I think there are colleagues — and some of whom are still very successful and very productive — but others who just stay forever.”

Speaking of her own ability to keep the fight against Republicans going, she added, “I’m just not the best gladiator for it right now.”

That said, she’s happy with what she’s supposedly accomplished, including, according to the Globe, “work to highlight mental health and addiction; to combat sexual violence, including MeToo-era reforms on Congress; to improve the environment; and to help veterans.”

“Twelve years is a good amount of time to put your shoulder to the wheel and try to make a difference on these issues,” she said. “I can’t say we solved them, but I think we made a difference, not just in changing policy, changing funding, but changing attitudes.”

She also has high hopes for her successor, former Biden administration official Maggie Goodlander.

“She’ll be great. I think she’ll do fine,” Kuster said. “It’s all worked out, and I think the voters really wanted me to be replaced by a woman, and that’s sort of endearing.”

Her final vote was for the drastically trimmed-down continuing resolution that the House passed late last week.

“I’ve never waited so long for one last vote,” Kuster said of the vote.

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.