But Boebert outdid herself during Biden's inaugural State of the Union address on March 1, when she loudly accused him of essentially killing thirteen American soldiers during the United States' chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan while he was paying tribute to his son Beau, a veteran who died of brain cancer.
Her co-conspirator in this proud moment for democracy was Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, QAnon's favorite elected official, who was seated so close to Boebert during the speech that the pair appeared to be auditioning for a sequel to the Saturday Night Live skit that portrayed them as gun-addicted vaccine skeptics.
None of this should surprise voters. Just prior to her 2020 election, Boebert was a few minutes late for an interview with Westword because she was chatting on the phone with firearm zealot Ted Nugent. Hearing that Nugent once referred to Hillary Clinton as a "toxic cunt" in this very publication, she responded, "I don’t use that kind of colorful language. I’m certainly a mouthy person, but I don’t need foul language to get my point across — although I never really thought it was my place to criticize those who do."
During the State of the Union, as documented by NPR, Biden noted the medical travails suffered by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, pointing out that some wound up with "a cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin."
At that point, Boebert, sporting a fashionable "Drill Baby Drill" shawl, yelled out: "You put them in. Thirteen of them."
As boos rippled through the congressional chamber, Biden, who seemed to turn in Boebert's direction, finished his thought, reminding those present that one of those cancer victims was "my son, Major Beau Biden."
No video has yet surfaced of Boebert's outburst. But a photo of her and Taylor Greene at full bellow has been widely shared by outlets such as The Hill, as seen here:
Back in 2009, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina caused foreheads to be smacked when he barked "You lie!" during then-President Barack Obama's initial State of the Union speech. Wilson delivered a weak apology afterward (NPR notes that he subsequently used the moment to raise funds), but acknowledging even the slightest regret wouldn't have been Boebert's style. Instead, she socialed a justification for her lack of civility by suggesting that she was merely doing her moral duty, not exhibiting woefully subpar impulse control.Boebert shocks Democrats with Biden State of the Union interruption https://t.co/qUOQWf9bNr pic.twitter.com/M6X2fV3jb7
— The Hill (@thehill) March 2, 2022
The day after, Twitter continues to be aflame with shock and disgust over Boebert's behavior. But the fallout is unlikely to hurt her much among true believers in her district — and so far, her only potential Democratic opponent in the upcoming election to get much attention is Alex Walker, whose campaign video includes a Boebert lookalike spraying constituents with liquefied sewage.When Biden said flag draped coffins I couldn't stay silent. I told him directly he did it. He put 13 in there.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) March 2, 2022
Our heroic servicemen and women deserve so much better.
Not a subtle metaphor, but it's looking more and more like an apt one.
