Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized by a prominent group of United States military veterans after she tried to blame Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) decision to ground thousands of flights across the country.
The FAA said in a statement a system that offers safety information to pilots failed.
But Boebert alleged Buttigieg is to blame, attributing the system error to the decision to "hire clueless liberals for jobs they aren't qualified to do."
You can see Boebert's tweet below.
\u201cEvery plane in America is currently grounded due to a system error.\n\nMayor Pete, bravo. \n\nThis is what happens when you hire clueless liberals for jobs they aren\u2019t qualified to do.\u201d— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1673444552
Boebert's tweet quickly caught the attention of VoteVets, a political action committee (PAC) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that promotes progressive solutions to issues like housing, hunger and healthcare and is dedicated to electing veterans to public office.
VoteVets immediately shut Boebert down, pointing out Buttigieg "is a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard and Oxford alum, and served in Afghanistan for the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer."
It added:
"If anyone is up for the task, it's him. He's, by far, extraordinarily qualified for his job. We can't say that for everyone in Washington."
You can see the organization's tweet below.
\u201cSecretary Buttigieg is a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard and Oxford alum, and served in Afghanistan for the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer. \nIf anyone is up for the task, it\u2019s him. He\u2019s, by far, extraordinarily qualified for his job.\nWe can\u2019t say that for everyone in Washington.\u201d— VoteVets (@VoteVets) 1673447900
VoteVets' tweet soon went viral and prompted many to echo the organization's criticisms of Boebert.
\u201cOnce again the hubris of this Colorado cretin is astounding. When the inevitable fall finally occurs, it will be monumental and quite satisfying.\u201d— The Whisper (@The Whisper) 1673483652
\u201cAnd Bobo barely passed the GED. Priceless stuff.\u201d— Some Guy (@Some Guy) 1673469313
\u201cShe has no place accusing anyone else of being clueless or unqualified.\u201d— MotherofDragons \ud83d\udcab\u262e (@MotherofDragons \ud83d\udcab\u262e) 1673469501
\u201cWhen the clown who crashed a bar business in a drinking town blames the sun setting at the end of the day on a Rhodes Scholar who crushed it as an investment banker. #GTFO #GOPClownCar\u201d— Chip Cathey (@Chip Cathey) 1673469572
\u201cThe Congress woman needs to think before she blows smoke. This Congress is a playground for lunatics.\u201d— Robert Scofield (@Robert Scofield) 1673482637
\u201cAn engineer makes an error handling a digital file and it's Buttigieg's fault?\u201d— Rich Montgomery (@Rich Montgomery) 1673486982
\u201cWe certainly can't say the same thing for the poorly-educated @laurenboebert !\u201d— JAGABAN BOSTON \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf8 (@JAGABAN BOSTON \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf8) 1673478807
\u201cA woman who had to take the GED multiple times is talking about others being unqualified for their jobs. Really, Bobo? #LaurenBoebertIsSoDumb\u201d— (((Pro-Democracy & Anti-Fascism))) (@(((Pro-Democracy & Anti-Fascism)))) 1673480433
Republicans have piled on Buttigieg in recent weeks as the aviation industry contends with the fallout from recent systemic failures that left travelers stranded and contributed to a crisis of confidence nationwide.
Last month, Buttigieg hit back at criticisms after Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee raised questions about his whereabouts in the wake of winter storms that wreaked havoc across the country and caused Southwest Airlines to cancel thousands of flights.
Southwest's string of cancelations opened the company up to federal scrutiny. House Republicans were quick to cast blame on Buttigieg for the crisis that disrupted holiday plans for hundreds of thousands of travelers nationwide.
Buttigieg was praised for a calm and measured response to attacks from Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, saying the Department of Transportation (DOT) would "keep getting results for passengers using our authorities [and] resources as an agency."
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