9News Denver anchor Kyle Clark was praised for how he handled Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert's response to a question about her infamous Beetlejuice incident during a televised debate between Republican candidates in Colorado.
Clark's question is the latest to address the time Boebert and her date were ejected from a performance of Beetlejuice due to disruptive behavior at a Denver theater.
Boebert has continued to weather criticism about her "outrageous behavior" during a touring production of Beetlejuice and those who attended the performance confirmed she was vaping and taking photos during the show.
Additionally, Boebert is facing accusations that she was getting rather hot and heavy with her date, bar owner Quinn Gallagher, that night—and surveillance footage suggests she was fondling Gallagher in the middle of a performance where children were present.
And things got awkward for her when she appeared in Denver on Friday with six other GOP candidates for the debate—only to face Clark's scrutiny.
You can watch their exchange in the video below.
When Clark asked Boebert if she wanted to “talk about the theater thing," she responded:
"Well Kyle, I certainly have owned up to my night out in Denver. I've gone on that public apology tour and I'm grateful for the mercy and grace that has been shown but I'm not going to continue to live life in shame and be beat up about this."
When she tried to switch topics, Clark stopped her and asked:
"Did you apologize for your behavior that went on with you and your date and the vaping or did you apologize to lying to voters and for the disrespect you showed to service workers that night? What specifically were you apologizing for?"
A flustered Boebert answered indignantly that she doesn't "believe there was disrespect" and added:
"There were things that were absolutely taken out of context. It’s been reported that I flipped someone off and I did not. So I think it’s been very mischaracterized.”
"I'm apologizing for you, Kyle Clark, getting footage and releasing that in a very private moment."
But Clark shut her down as she continued to talk over him:
“Certainly. It was very important to figure out whether you were telling the truth or whether a public agency was lying about your conduct. Either way was very important for folks to find out.”
Many appreciated Clark's approach—and criticized Boebert's behavior.
This is the second time in the last week that Boebert has faced criticism for the Beetlejuice incident.
Late last month, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston brought up the incident after Boebert ranted about the city's Newcomer's Playbook, which contains best practices and procedures for cities to emulate Denver's welcoming policy toward migrants.
When Boebert criticized the move and recommended Americans "need to vote out everyone in government who refers to illegal alien criminal invaders as 'newcomers' and do so quickly," Johnston snarkily questioned whether he'd forgotten "a section in the playbook about not vaping and getting handsy at Beetlejuice."
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