GOP Candidates Brag About Arrests During Colorado Debate
The Republican Party has long claimed to be “the party of law and order,” but some GOP candidates in Colorado think a criminal record is a bragging point.
That sad truth was on display Thursday night at a primary debate in Fort Lupton, a community in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, when candidates were asked if they had ever been arrested.
A whopping six out of the nine candidates on the debate stage raised their hands to the audience’s cheers.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who currently represents the 3rd District but is changing districts in hopes of improving her reelection chances, celebrated the moment by high-fiving with Mike Lynch, who, earlier this week, resigned as the state’s House minority leader after a 2022 DUI arrest was made public, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA.
VIDEO: Incredible moment in first GOP debate for CD4 as candidates are asked to raise their hands if they’ve been arrested…
Six candidates raised their hands, including Lauren Boebert and Mike Lynch.
They then proceeded to cheer and high five each other…
(@denverwestword) pic.twitter.com/gJJXiaCrTe— Chris Perez (@yankee_MSU) January 26, 2024
Boebert told the audience that her arrest was “just a simple traffic violation that was unpaid,” but the Colorado Times Reporter said Friday that she was arrested in 2016 after skipping a required court hearing for rolling her truck into a ditch.
She was also arrested in 2015 for disorderly conduct after she allegedly encouraged underage drinkers at a music festival to resist the police.
Many people on social media noted the irony that a majority of the candidates seemed to think that having an arrest history was somehow a badge of honor ― or at least antithetical to the GOP’s professed core beliefs.
The party of law and order. https://t.co/mbOcUuEO4I
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 26, 2024
Are you old enough to remember when having a police record was something a candidate had to explain instead of something that was cheered in the @GOP? https://t.co/u0mpEc4DUt
— Veterans For Responsible Leadership (@VetsForRL) January 26, 2024
Same clowns that have “back the blue” stickers on their pick-up trucks https://t.co/7IvuMByPIx
— Warren (@swd2) January 26, 2024
Does this mean they'll support reentry & rehab programs for formally incarcerated people to have a second chance at redeeming their lives & careers or is that just reserved for white lawbreaking Republicans? https://t.co/VdKX6xBAUE
— Lisa for Denver (@LisaforDenver) January 26, 2024
Wait, white folks bragging about their criminal arrests like it’s a badge of honor. All running for political office 🤦🏾♀️
So is this the hip thing now? https://t.co/OIuUklAAyt— AngieR 🖤💛🖤💛 (@KizzyMae1969) January 26, 2024
Shame was a nice thing when it existed. https://t.co/9SijJ2RKYf
— Michael Freeman (@michaelpfreeman) January 26, 2024