Former Republican President Donald Trump officially endorsed GOP Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado within 24 hours of the House of Representatives rebuking her with an anti-Islamophobia bill.
Boebert isn't due for re-election until November 2022.
In his statement, he praised Boebert for being "a fearless leader, a defender of the America First Agenda and a fighter against the Loser RINOs and Radical Democrats."
Trump announced his endorsement on Twitter via his spokesperson, Liz Harrington.
NEW!\n\nPresident Donald J. Trump announces his endorsement of Congresswoman Lauren Boebertpic.twitter.com/Kau4zmFoif— Liz Harrington (@Liz Harrington) 1639610812
Boebert later issued a response saying she will "ALWAYS stand with the America First agenda & President Trump!" and thanked him profusely.
I am beyond humbled & honored to receive the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump!\n\nI will ALWAYS stand with the America First agenda & President Trump!\n\nJoin our campaign today by chipping in $20.22: https://secure.winred.com/lauren-boebert-for-congress/donatenow-stopbiden2tw\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/JmjMAQeHGi— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1639616340
Trump's endorsement came scarcely 24 hours after the House narrowly passed the Combating International Islamophobia Act in response to Islamophobic comments Boebert made about the bill's sponsor, Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat.
In announcing the bill, Omar said it is imperative to recognize and eradicate Islamophobia "as part of our commitment to international religious freedom and human rights."
The news of the endorsement was harshly criticized on social media, with many moving to condemn both Trump and Boebert.
@laurenboebert this is the equivalent of Manson testifying for you in a murder trial.https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1471283684875677696\u00a0\u2026— Emma's Muse (@Emma's Muse) 1639621331
Well it's true they have mainstreamed crazy.\nDouble down grifter, time is short.https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1471283684875677696\u00a0\u2026— DSJWrites Democracy For All #VoteBlue2022 (@DSJWrites Democracy For All #VoteBlue2022) 1639621884
"America First agenda" = Fascist Nazi movement.https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1471283684875677696\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udfdc \ud83e\udded \ud83c\udd82\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd81\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd84\ud83c\udd82\ud83c\udd7e\ud83c\udd76\ud83c\udd73 \u2728 \ud83d\udce1 \ud83d\udef0 \ud83c\udf0a (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udfdc \ud83e\udded \ud83c\udd82\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd81\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd84\ud83c\udd82\ud83c\udd7e\ud83c\udd76\ud83c\udd73 \u2728 \ud83d\udce1 \ud83d\udef0 \ud83c\udf0a) 1639624147
If you want to vote for someone like Lauren Bobert who has done absolutely nothing for you but take your money who is embarrassing you who is incredibly ignorant then she\u2019s a girl for you I won\u2019t be voting Republican anymore they all have criminal recordshttps://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1471260501204160518\u00a0\u2026— Rhonda marie Grandma\u2019s Unite stop (@Rhonda marie Grandma\u2019s Unite stop) 1639619874
Another one of the wackos in Congress who has no clue what governing is and basically stealing money from Americans while she takes up office spacehttps://twitter.com/reallizusa/status/1471260501204160518\u00a0\u2026— Joseph A Brophy Jr (@Joseph A Brophy Jr) 1639617830
Anyone Trump endorses is a threat to our Republic.https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1471260501204160518\u00a0\u2026— Rebecca Clester (@Rebecca Clester) 1639614620
Bobert is a traitor. She participated in the insurrection on the Capitol on January 6. She took domestic terrorists on a tour of the building the day before the insurrection. She led them to Nancy Pelosi\u2019s office to kill her. She tweeted them directions as well. Lock her up! https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1471260501204160518\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/nGXJbE4rLe— Deb Faurot (@Deb Faurot) 1639611791
Well of course, the irrelevant, twit who tried (and failed) to overturn the will of the people would endorse one of the most vile members of congress. You depend on her lack of intelligence, integrity, morals and education to be another sycophant of yours. 2 peas in a pod!https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1471260501204160518\u00a0\u2026— Cathy (@Cathy) 1639612090
Boebert sparked outrage and was accused of expressing anti-Muslim sentiment after she branded Omar a member of the "Jihad Squad."
The use of the term "Jihad Squad" has proven controversial.
Omar is one of three Muslim members of Congress, the others being Democrats André Carson (Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan).
She is also one of the members of "The Squad," a group of six Democratic members of the House that was initially composed of Omar, Tlaib, and their fellow Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts).
The phrase "Jihad Squad" first emerged in 2019 when the Illinois Republican County Chairman's Association included it in an image posted to their social media accounts that depicted the four women holding guns and standing defiantly.
The image has been included as evidence of the "process of radicalization," according to the political scientists Richard C. Fording and Sanford F. Schram, who in their book Hard White: The Mainstreaming of Racism in American Politicsnoted the image appeared to "anticipate being called out for racism" with a caption that read:
"Political Jihad Is Their Game: If you don't agree with their socialist ideology, you're racist."
Omar later issued a response calling Boebert a "deprived person who shamefully defecates & defiles the House of Representatives."
Trump, for his part, has in the past also spread conspiracy theories about Omar.
He once accused Omar of praising terrorists, a claim that has been thoroughly debunked but has continued to spread since he falsely claimed Omar talked "about how great Al Qaeda is" during a 2013 interview on a local PBS television show.
