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A history of Boebert’s ties to right-wing extremist groups, deadly conspiracies

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January 12, 2021, 10:25 am

Lauren Boebert, the newly-elected Colorado Congresswoman who is facing calls to resign today over allegations that she helped incite the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, has a history of involvement with the extremist groups behind the event.

The gun-enthusiast and political newcomer objected to the certification of the 2020 Presidential election results Wednesday after months of echoing President Trump’s baseless claims about fraud.

“Madame Speaker, I have constituents outside this building right now and I promised to be their voice,” said Boebert on the House floor mere moments before the pro-Trump rioters invaded the building. Earlier that day, Boebert tweeted, “Today is 1776.”

Some have alleged that Boebert was attempting to aid rioters who were searching for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by tweeting information about her whereabouts during the attack.

Later that day, Boebert attempted to back away from the rioters she earlier referred to as her constituents, saying they “were not conservative” and potentially nodding to the conspiracy that Antifa was behind the riot.

Now, just a week after being sworn into Congress, some are calling for Boebert’s removal.

As some national news outlets have reported, Boebert’s former campaign manager Sherronna Bishop once praised the Proud Boys, a white supremacist hate group that was among those who attacked the Capitol. Over the past several months, the Colorado Times Recorder has reported extensively on Boebert’s ties to far-right extremist groups and conspiracies. Here’s what we’ve found:

Boebert’s ties to far-right militias and gun extremists

Boebert has long embraced the far-right militia movement, appearing at events with them and even asking members of the III% United Patriots, also known as the “Three Percenters,” to provide security at campaign events, as reported by CTR’s Erik Maulbetsch in July. The group had a strong presence at Wednesday’s riot.

Boebert appeared at a rally in opposition to Colorado’s “red flag” gun law in December of 2019 alongside members of the Three Percenters and the Proud Boys, Maulbetsch reported at the time.

This summer, Boebert tweeted, “I am the militia. #2A #WeThePeople.”

She also posted this professional photo with the Colorado “Boots on the Ground” Bikers for Trump group, which includes a man wearing a “Three Percenter” patch.

In May, when armed militia members entered the Michigan Capitol over COVID-19 orders, Boebert tweeted that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “should not be in power,” and that “she’s become an outright tyrant.”

Last month, Boebert said in an interview with Breitbart News that “the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting, except hunting tyrants, maybe.”

In September, Boebert appeared at an event to accept the endorsement of the Gun Owners of America, a far-right gun group whose founder peddled the conspiracy theory that the Aurora theatre shooting was a false flag attack orchestrated by the federal government.

She also appeared at a private fundraiser hosted by Sandy Hook conspiracist Tom Ready.

Boebert and QAnon

As national news outlets have reported, symbols associated with the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory were pervasive during Wednesday’s attack.

Boebert has been branded a QAnon Congresswoman after once saying she hopes the conspiracy is real. On the campaign trail, Boebert attempted to back away from QAnon, saying she doesn’t “follow” the conspiracy despite literally following QAnon YouTube channels that were eventually banned by the site. Boebert eventually deleted her YouTube account.

Boebert also continued to nod to QAnon-linked conspiracies, including the baseless claim that Tom Hanks is a pedophile.

Despite her attempts to distance herself from the conspiracy during the campaign, Boebert continued to parrot QAnon-esque talking points about a so-called “deep state” undermining President Trump and posed for a photo with a sign that linked her to QAnon.

Boebert and the voter fraud conspiracy

Most recently, Boebert embraced a number of debunked conspiracy theories and misinformation alleging that widespread voter fraud took place in swing states across the country.

On Dec. 27, Boebert tweeted: “Objecting to the counting of certain electoral votes is NOT “overthrowing” the results of the election if those votes were won through fraud. Winning an election through fraud is what I would consider ‘overthrowing’ the results. That is exactly why we’re fighting for POTUS!” This claim about election fraud is disputed

President Trump and his allies latched on to the false allegations of election fraud, which laid the foundation for the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally that fomented the violent insurrection at the Capitol.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared Jan. 11 on Colorado Times Recorder.

16 Responses to A history of Boebert’s ties to right-wing extremist groups, deadly conspiracies

  1. Michael Sanner

    January 12, 2021 at 11:04 am

    I did not vote for Boebert because of her far right views. That said,
    she is now my congresswoman and has already embarrassed me with her actions. If it is true that she was abetting this insurrection by tweeting the Speaker’s location while the assault was ongoing she should be held fully accountable by the law and, at a minimum, removed from the Congress by the Congress.

  2. William Fraser

    January 12, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Egad…………What a piece of crap……………Who the hell would vote for this person. People have been so misled by trump and right wing shows like fox . SICK

  3. newpublicvoid

    January 13, 2021 at 1:17 am

    just embarrassed to be a Coloradan

  4. B. Ridlon

    January 13, 2021 at 6:49 am

    This woman has fallen hook line and sinker for the BS this president has been dishing out for much longer than 4 years.
    We elect representatives to represent the wishes and views of the voters. The voters have spoken and have cast their votes. Your views and refusal to accept their votes is a violation of our democracy. You, like our not so great Orange Pumpkin do not represent us. You represent idiotic, violent and and uninformed factions that serve no other purpose than to disrupt and fuel divisiveness. Grow up! This country is not a game of target practice for you and the gun you wear on your hip. Guns and alcohol, like guns and idiots like you who flaunt them only serve to be more examples of hate, racism and intolerance and stupidity.

    RESIGN NOW. Don’t embarrass us and yourself any further!

  5. KJ Bee

    January 13, 2021 at 10:15 pm

    Ms. Boebert appears frantic, theatrical, vitriolic, insincere and wholly unpersuasive when addressing the House. She brings to mind an amateur actor, overzealously performing a disjointed script, in a pathetic attempt to impress an overindulgent casting director. In summary, annoying.

    • Marilyn Morrison

      January 15, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      Sarah Palin on steroids.

  6. Julio cisneros

    January 14, 2021 at 8:55 am

    Lauren Boebert will follow in the foot steps of Sarah Palin. She will be shown to be an idiot blowhard and only needs to be given enough time to get her feet in her mouth often enough to become irrelevant. I hope that course toward becoming a cipher is straight and speedy.

  7. Cary S.

    January 14, 2021 at 11:23 am

    This young patriot is exactly the kind of person we need in Washington.

    As much as the people from Colorado support the shooting sports, I’m surprised by some of the 2A comments.

    Are you people from Colorado or did you move to Colorado from California or new York City?

    • Mike A

      January 14, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      Hey Cary S … that’s lame. Are you claiming that behaving as badly as Boebert has been doing is a hallmark of being a true Coloradan? Because it isn’t.

      It is not patriotic to support riots and insurrections (or to undermine elections). And if you beat a cop down with an American flag … you are still beating down a cop. Same goes for tweeting Nancy Pelosi’s location to the people trying to break in to Congress with stun guns, mace and zip cuffs.

      I am a gun owner … and Boebert’s extremist attitudes and affiliations do NOT represent me. Irresponsible behavior and gunslinging like hers gives us all a bad name. You know, things like trying to violate local gun laws in the District of Columbia, or trying to bring firearms into the House of Representative chambers.

  8. Tom

    January 14, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    Is this the best Colorado can do,I had higher standards for Colorado. My point Robert won’t last.

    • Bryan

      July 22, 2021 at 11:26 am

      Who the hell is Robert?

  9. Pleiades

    January 14, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    Representative Boebert is such a “Qaren” as we call them here. Along with Representative Taylor-Greene of Georgia, Ms. Boebert is vying for the title of “Queen Qaren of Qongress”, but whoever wins will have a hard time wrestling the crown from the hands of Representative Louis Gohmert of Texas. He is such a Gohmert (not a term of affection) and a PINO (Patriot In Name Only) like Representatives Boebert and Taylor-Greene as well as Representatives Jim Jordon of Ohio and Representstive Matt Gaetz of Florida.

  10. Tracey

    January 15, 2021 at 11:34 am

    I listened to Rep. Boebert speak on the House Floor. She thinks she must lecture those present in a rude, nasty breathless manner.
    She is a self-entitled narcissist.
    She is a danger to democracy and should not be allowed to enter the capitol again.

  11. Carol J Sellers

    January 16, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    I agree. What is the point of bringing a gun into house chambers? Kill or threaten anyone who disagrees with you? Kill anyone you view as a tyrant? And we can trust your judgement? For protection? From others bearing arms? That’s the very reason why there are now metal detectors. If nobody is permitted to bring in a gun, she shouldn’t need hers.

  12. Mountainmama

    January 18, 2021 at 9:05 pm

    I wish she’d resign. She’s literally spreading misinformation for political and financial gain at the expense of manipulating her constituents and Americans. She says the most outrageous things on Twitter violating the rules intentionally SO she can get suspended and then cry “big tech censorship”. These people will never understand that the fringe groups on either side are not representative of the American people. The majority of people want moderate leaders with integrity. Joe Biden won because he was everything trump is not, he’s not a radical socialist. It’s a shame that the extremists are being given megaphones because it gives impression that their views are widely accepted. Couldn’t be more false. Majority of vets who were in combat are against this type of rhetoric and virtue signaling. Truly hope LB resigns.

  13. Nunya

    July 22, 2021 at 9:23 am

    No she is not the best to offer
    Kerry Donovan Is
    http://www.kerrydonovanforcongress.com