Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert found themselves back in the crosshairs of Twitter trolls this week after video of them taking a wrong turn in the US Capitol spread online.
The pair, who are often spotted walking together in the Capitol, made headlines just last month after they were seen ignoring a Capitol Police officer’s stated commands ordering them to pass through a nearby metal detector before entering the House floor for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech.
The two were talking to a scrum of reporters about Tuesday’s election for House speaker — the two are both members of a rebel faction of Republicans who are opposed to Kevin McCarthy, the current leader of the Republican caucus, taking the role.
Mr Gaetz is heard in the clip quipping that the pair is lost as they continue to face a barrage of questions from reporters.
“We’re lost!” the Florida congressman declares, walking back out of an alcove he had just walked into.
The two are relatively new members of Congress; Ms Boebert just won reelection for her second term, which begins Tuesday. And the Capitol complex can be challenging to navigate for even those with some experience around the building, though Mr Gaetz in particular has had six years to learn his way around.
As a result of the incident being caught on camera, the two were mocked by their critics relentlessly.
“As usual, they’re pretending they have places to go and people to see,” wrote Gailen David.
“The blind leading the blind,” quipped Michael Prieve.
Another Twitter user added: “Maybe they would know where their offices were if they showed up to their jobs more often instead of touring the country with [Turning Point USA]”.
