Colorado newspaper The Durango Herald has called out far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) controversial visit to a local high school this week.
Boebert’s speech and Q&A session with students at Dolores High School in Dolores on Wednesday made the news outlet “uncomfortable” because “her talk ventured beyond governance into political territory,” its editorial board wrote Friday.
“Like her or otherwise, Boebert is a polarizing politician,” the Herald said about the Donald Trump devotee, who in the past has embraced QAnon conspiracy theories. Amid fears from parents in the lead-up to the event, representatives for gun-loving Boebert confirmed that she would not be carrying a weapon during the school visit.
Per the newspaper, Boebert talked about “moral decay” and railed against what she saw as the infringement of liberties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Apparently, she also told students they should know about those issues and let it motivate them to stand up for their freedom,” the board wrote. “Come on! This is Boebert’s brand on stage in front of students without parents present.”
The Herald suggested she could have inspired students with “her personal journey from a manager at McDonald’s to a representative in the hallowed halls of Congress.”
Instead, she “didn’t separate herself and her politics from the mechanics of government,” it charged.