Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert had a hell of a time at a debate against her Democratic opponent, Adam Frisch, on Saturday. Before the event even truly began, Boebert managed to cause enough drama to get booed by the crowd.
When the participants were asked if they understood and agreed to the rules of the debate, Frisch agreed readily—but Boebert proceeded to derail the whole thing by attacking the moderator, Edie Sonn, instead.
"Edie, can you please disclose to the audience that you publicly supported my 2020 Democrat candidate Dianne Mitch Bush, and can you please disclose any other roles that you have had with Democrat candidates in the past?"
Sonn, to her credit, took the comment in stride and expertly tried to redirect the conversation back to the debate.
Boebert wouldn't be deterred though:
"I believe that this is relevant because when I was invited, when I received the invitation to the Club 20 debate, Club 20, CMU and the Daily Sentinel said that they want to provide a nonpartisan forum tonight."
This prompted the crowd to boo her, and Sonn to further state her role before informing Boebert that she could simply end the debate before it began if she wouldn't cooperate with the process.
"Congresswoman Boebert, this is not about me tonight. This is about you and your opponent. I am here to ask, to be the traffic cop while these panelists ask questions and I respectfully ask that you respectfully agree to the terms of this debate."If you will not do so, then we can close things down right now."
Boebert finally agreed to follow the rules, but had to get the last word in.
"I am glad that everyone is aware that Club 20 has not chosen a non-partisan moderator."
You can view the clip from the debate below:
\u201cLauren Boebert opens up her debate tonight by attacking the moderator.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
Twitter users tore into Boebert at least as badly as the booers in the crowd at the debate did.
\u201c@RonFilipkowski She keeps talking about Nancy Pelosi. Does she think she's debating Nancy Pelosi?\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@dvillella @RonFilipkowski Exactly. The time to object was when she first knew who the moderator was. Not on the night of!\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@RonFilipkowski Translation.\nJust in case some of you out there don't know how petty, threatened, and afraid of failure I am...\nlet me just reveal that to you before we begin.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@RonFilipkowski Her ads here in Colorado are of her striding across a field with her husband kids and dogs. Just like a person from our area\nDon\u2019t be fooled she\u2019s not one of us. She wants to disrupt us. She won\u2019t work for us\nShe cares only for her own advancement\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@RonFilipkowski These debates should be broadcast on national tv so all Americans can see how republicans embarrass themselves. Boebert is playing the victim by trying to show the moderator is biased. \ud83d\ude44\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
Many expressed respect for how Sonn handled the situation.
\u201c@RonFilipkowski Glad to hear the audience clap for the moderator when she puts the debate back on track. For Boebert, it's not a debate. It's a soapbox for making headlines and whining.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@RonFilipkowski \u201cThis is not about me tonight, this is about you and your opponent\u201d\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
\u201c@JaneotN @RonFilipkowski Lol. That was my exact same thought after the first one. I was so hoping after bobo went thru her gobbledygook the second time, the moderator would've made her do it a 3rd, 4th, until bobo gave up.\n\nAs it turns out, of course she disingenuously misrepresented the tweet.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
Frisch also responded to the tweet, calling Boebert an embarrassment.
\u201c@RonFilipkowski What an embarrassment. If you\u2019d like to help fire Lauren Boebert and send me to Washington instead after this debate performance, chip in here. https://t.co/8phJQL7mps\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662860916
With election day fast approaching on November 8, we'll just have to wait and see how much more trouble Boebert can cause in the interim.