Lauren Boebert Mocked After Challenging Pete Buttigieg in X Feud
By Jake Beardslee ·
July 31, 2024
Colorado GOP lawmaker Lauren Boebert drew criticism on X, formerly Twitter, after challenging Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's comments on Trump's withdrawal from a planned presidential debate. The social media spat erupted when Boebert attempted to counter Buttigieg's stance on the former president's debate commitment. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
The dispute began when Buttigieg, who is being considered as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, criticized Trump's withdrawal from the September debate. Buttigieg questioned, "Has a presidential nominee ever agreed to a debate, then pulled out? Remarkable show of weakness here." Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
This comment was in response to reports that Trump is backing out of a tentative September 10 debate on ABC News, which he had initially agreed to attend. Trump's campaign has stated that they will not commit to a debate until the Democratic Party officially selects its nominee. GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK
In an attempt to counter Buttigieg's argument, Rep. Boebert replied, "Yes, actually. Biden agreed to two and backed out of the second." However, her response was met with widespread criticism and mockery on social media, as many users pointed out that President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 race made him ineligible for the debate in question. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
Social media users were quick to correct and criticize Boebert's statement. One user wrote, "As he's not a presidential candidate anymore, he didn't back out. There is literally no reason for him to debate Trump." Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
Another user accused Boebert of deflecting attention from Trump's reluctance to debate, stating, "This is the saddest attempt at shifting the focus away from the fact that Trump is too cowardly to stick with a debate he agreed to because he is afraid of Vice President Kamala Harris." Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
The Trump campaign has cited the current political climate as a reason for their hesitation to commit to the debate. A spokesperson for the campaign stated, "Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee." David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK
The spokesperson added, "Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds." The White House / Wikimedia
Vice President Harris, however, has expressed her readiness to participate in the debate. She responded to Trump's decision by asking, "What happened to 'any time, any place'?" referencing Trump's previous statement from March when he and Biden were discussing debate scheduling. Richard Burkhart/ USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
Harris further emphasized her commitment, saying, "I have agreed to the previously agreed upon September 10 debate. He agreed to that previously. Now, here he is backpedaling and I'm ready and I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage and so I'm ready to go." Richard Burkhart/ USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
As the Democratic National Convention approaches, delegates will begin voting on August 5 to determine the next presidential candidate. With Harris being the only name on the ballot, the stage appears to be set for a potential face-off between her and Trump, should he decide to participate in the debate. Andrew Craft / USA TODAY NETWORK
