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Who is Lauren Boebert? Congresswoman vows to carry Glock on DC streets, branded as 'problem in this country'

Boebert tweeted, 'Let me tell you why I WILL carry my Glock to Congress. Government does NOT get to tell me or my constituents how we are allowed to keep our families safe'

In one of the more controversial political hot takes that have come in the aftermath of former Vice President Joe Biden taking the first step in becoming the 46th President of the United States, newly elected Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said in a new video that she will be carrying her Glock to Congress and on the streets of Washington, DC, to protect her second amendment rights.

Boebert's video has raised the ire of many and DC Police Chief Robert Contee has responded that she, in fact, cannot do that.

What did Boebert say?

Boebert tweeted, "Let me tell you why I WILL carry my Glock to Congress. Government does NOT get to tell me or my constituents how we are allowed to keep our families safe. I promise to always stand strong for our 2nd Amendment rights."

In the video, she begins by taking a Glock off the table and walking through the streets of Washington DC explaining why she is carrying her gun. The nearly three-minute video may seem like something lifted from 'Supernatural' as Boebert tells the camera that she refuses to give up her rights, "especially my second amendment rights." She said she will carry her firearm in DC and in Congress, saying, "In DC of all places, we should be encouraged to practice our rights." 

She also takes a dig at "fake news" and gave her reasons as to why she is doing so, saying that she is a woman and a mother of four: "I choose to protect my family with all of the force the Constitution provides." Boebert also says that DC is one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the country. However, a list by Safewise says otherwise and does not include DC on their list of dangerous cities in America for 2020, as calculated from FBI crime data.

She cites that she does not go to work in a motorcade or an armored car and that she does not get police escorts. Boebert then says she is her best security. She also goes on to say, "As a young woman working late nights at a restaurant, I learned real fast how important it is to defend myself," citing a "violent incident" outside her restaurant. 

Who is Lauren Boebert?

Lauren Boebert, born in 1986, is a newly elected Congresswoman from Rifle, Colorado, where she owns a restaurant with her husband. Her staff members are encouraged to openly carry firearms after a person was assaulted in a nearby valley. 

Boebert ran as a Republican for Colorado's third congressional district in 2020, defeated incumbent Republican Scott Tipton in the primaries, and went on to defeat Democratic nominee, former state house member, Diane Mitsch Bun in the general election. While running against Tipton, she expressed support for QAnon, later retracting her statements.

She was one of 83 members of Congress, including Dan Crenshaw, Jim Jordan, Mo Brooks, Markwayne Mullin, and members-elect such as Victoria Spartz and Yvette Herrell, who petitioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to keep the 1967 law that exempts members of Congress from a Capitol Hill ban on firearms in place, which Pelosi left as is in the new set of rules.

How are people responding?

Reuters reports that DC Police Chief Robert Contee has reminded Boebert that she is "subjected to the same penalties as anyone else caught on a District of Columbia street carrying a firearm unlawfully.” Open carry is illegal in DC and firearms are generally prohibited on the grounds of the Capitol. However, the publication cites a source to say that members of Congress are allowed to have guns in their congressional offices.

Many have responded in the negative, however, to Boebert's comments. One user tweeted, "Oh, this is going to be a valuable member of the national legislature. She's packing because she has to walk through a neighborhood made up of $2 million townhouses." Another wrote, "This is why we have a problem in this country. Carrying a Glock to congress is not keeping your family safe. The right to bear arms has been distorted in this country. #wtpBlue #BluePath."

A user sarcastically remarked, "Lawmaker announces laws don't matter and you can just do whatever you want." NBC's Mehdi Hasan asked, "Can you imagine the reaction if @IlhanMN filmed a video of herself defiantly loading a weapon and threatening to bring into Congress?"