New Hampshire Democratic Representative Annie Kuster is making her feelings known on her way out of Congress.
The longtime congresswoman fired shots at President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and everyone in between in an exit interview with The Boston Globe published Thursday.
Kuster’s answer as to why she is retiring from Congress was twofold. The first reason was the issue of gerontocracy.
“I’m trying to set a better example,” Kuster said. “I think there are colleagues—and some of whom are still very successful and very productive—but others who just stay forever.”
Her second reason was that she’s not the best “gladiator” as Donald Trump returns to office.
Kuster, who announced her retirement in March, suspected that Trump would win the election. “Just in my heart, [I] reached the conclusion that this would be a very challenging campaign for [Biden], and to put himself out there for another four-year term was going to be a struggle.”
“I was one of the last members of Congress in the gallery on Jan. 6, and as it turns out, we have the security footage that shows it was only 30 seconds from when I was able to evacuate that the insurrectionists were in that hallway hunting for us with zip ties and bear mace and who knows what else,” Kuster said in a similar interview with Roll Call on Monday. “I just felt like, he tried to kill me once. I’m not available for it again.”
Kuster still sees the whole of her time in Congress as a success, even with the recent tilt toward the GOP.
“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.”
