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Lauren Boebert tells The Independent what she wants from Biden’s SOTU

Colorado Republican says she hopes President Joe Biden ‘will finally admit that it’s his disastrous policies that are destroying our country’

Katie Hawkinson
Washington, DC
,Gustaf Kilander
Friday 08 March 2024 01:54 GMT
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Lauren Boebert arrives at State of the Union

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Colorado Rep Lauren Boebert has told The Independent that she hopes that President Joe Biden “will finally admit that it’s his disastrous policies that are destroying our country”.

Ms Boebert, who was seen chatting to ousted former Rep George Santos earlier in the night, made the comment shortly before the State of the Union on Thursday night.

This comes after Ms Boebert was reported to be seeking revenge on the state official who supported removing Donald Trump from her state’s ballot.

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled last December that Mr Trump was ineligible to serve as President under the US Constitution’s insurrection clause, disqualifying him from the state ballot. The ruling was overturned by a unanimous decision from the US Supreme Court this week.

Ms Boebert, a staunch Republican and long-time ally to Mr Trump, called for Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold to be removed from her position following the ruling.

“You have no business in the Secretary of State’s office and shouldn’t oversee an election in which you have shown a clear bias,” Ms Boebert wrote on X. “You’re unfit. Time for you to be RECALLED!”

Ms Boebert was responding to a statement from Ms Griswold expressing her disappointment at the Supreme Court’s decision to take away states’ authority to enforce the US Constitution’s insurrection clause for federal candidates.

Just hours later, Ms Boebert posted a letter on X addressed to Ms Griswold making her intentions clear.

“We are actively building a grassroots coalition of Coloradans and Americans to begin the process of holding you accountable for your attack on our elections and the voting rights of millions of Coloradans,” the letter reads. “All legal options available to us will be considered, including a formal recall effort.”

The letter was signed by three other prominent state Republicans, including Colorado Republican Party Chair Dave Williams.

Almost half – 46 per cent – of voters in Ms Boebert Boebert’s new district don’t want to vote for a carpetbagger – a candidate with no local connections, something her opponents are capitalising on.

The pro-Trump Republican revealed late last year that she would be running for re-election in Colorado’s fourth congressional district – she currently represents the third, an office she has held since 2021.

She said that it was the “right decision for those who support our conservative movement” but it has been perceived by some as an attempt to avoid a loss.

She was being challenged in the Republican primary by Jeff Hurd and the Democrat she beat in 2022 by only 546 votes – Adam Frisch – and who looks set to be the nominee for the Democrats in the district yet again.

A Kaplan Strategies poll found last month that 46 per cent of voters in the fourth district don’t want a candidate who just moved there. Twenty-two per cent said they would support such a candidate, while 33 per cent were not sure.

Rep Ken Buck, who currently represents the fourth district, announced his retirement citing the election denialism in his party.

But even with the scepticism against carpetbaggers such as Ms Boebert, she may still win the seat. The Kaplan strategies poll found that she has the backing of 32 per cent of those taking part in the survey, while her challengers were all in the single digits.

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