Why Lauren Boebert's Presence At Trump's Trial Was So Controversial
Lauren Boebert has a knack for turning heads, and almost always, it's for the wrong reasons. The Colorado congresswoman, known for courting controversy, made headlines in May 2024 when she skipped her own son's court appearance to attend Donald Trump's hush money trial. While a gag order restricted Trump from speaking publicly on the case, Boebert seized the opportunity, commenting on the trial outside the courtroom and on X, formerly known as Twitter. "They may have gagged President Trump," she wrote. "They didn't gag me."
@thehillpolitics Rep. Lauren Boebert was heckled outside the Manhattan courthouse where she was attempting to defend former President Trump at his criminal hush money trial. As Boebert and several other Republicans broke away from a makeshift press conference podium, she leaned into the microphones to say one last thing. "The defendant does not know the crime that was committed," she shouted. #LaurenBoebert #DonaldTrump #TrumpHushMoneyTrial #TheHill
However, while she stood alongside her MAGA colleagues in New York City, her eldest son, Tyler Boebert, was left alone to deal with his legal battles back in Colorado. Charged with multiple felonies, Tyler appeared in court a few days before Boebert's public appearance at the New York trial. Her decision to prioritize Trump over her family exposes a glaring hypocrisy for a politician who campaigned on family values.
Choosing Trump over family
In February 2024, Tyler Boebert, who already had a history of legal trouble, was arrested in Rifle, Colorado in connection with several vehicular break-ins. According to CPR News, Tyler was implicated in stealing driver's licenses and credit cards used to make unauthorized purchases. The Rifle Police Department posted on Facebook that the 19-year-old was facing 20 potential charges, including "four felony counts of Criminal Possession [of] ID Documents" and "one felony count of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony."
In the aftermath of the arrest, Lauren Boebert's office released an official statement saying (via CBS News), "It breaks my heart to see my child struggling [...], especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track". However, during his court appearance in May, Tyler was alone and without legal representation. According to Westword, he claimed that he could not afford an attorney within his price range. Rather than being by her son's side and helping him find a defense attorney, Lauren attended Trump's trial, doubling down on her public support for the now-convicted former president.
Critics on social media jumped at the opportunity to slam Lauren's decision and scrutinize her hypocrisy. Political commentator and attorney Ron Filipkowski sarcastically referred to her on X as "MAGA Mother of the Year" for prioritizing Trump's case over her own family. The contrast between her political loyalty and familial responsibilities highlights a striking hypocrisy, especially as a politician who campaigned on the importance of family values.