US Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) has been an official member of Congress for only one day, but she’s already managed to trigger political adversaries by advertising her vow to carry a Glock pistol to work.
“Not only is it my right, but it’s a right I was sent here to protect,” Boebert said in a video posted Sunday night on Twitter. The video shows the congresswoman chambering a clip and holstering a semi-automatic pistol in the back of her waistband, under a blazer, then walking on the streets of Washington as she discusses why she will carry a gun on Capitol Hill.
“Even though I now work in one of the most liberal cities in America, I refuse to give up my rights, especially my Second Amendment rights,” Boebert said. She added that as a mother of four who’s just 5-foot tall and 100 pounds, “I choose to defend my family with all of the force the Constitution provides.”
Boebert, who also cited Washington’s high crime rate, has a history of making provocative statements about guns. Just last month she tweeted: “I’ve always heard to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick.’ I prefer to speak loudly and carry a Glock.” She also said she provides mandatory firearms training and target practice for employees at her restaurant, called Shooters, in western Colorado.
After Boebert’s latest pro-gun brashness, reporters asked Washington Police Chief Robert Contee about the new congresswoman’s plans. Members of Congress are allowed to carry a gun on Capitol grounds, but Contee said he will inform Boebert that she’s subject to the same penalties as anyone else if she’s found with...