Support truly
independent journalism
Lauren Boebert is being mocked on X after trying to prove Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrong as the two sparred over a possible presidential debate.
Buttigieg, a contender for Kamala Harris’ running mate, posted on X criticizing Donald Trump for pulling out of his commitment to a September debate: “Has a presidential nominee ever agreed to a debate, then pulled out? Remarkable show of weakness here.”
Buttigieg’s comment came in response to a post from a reporter revealing Trump is backing out of the tentative September 10 debate on ABC News, which he originally agreed to. However, he has waved on participating since Joe Biden dropped out and Harris became the presumptive nominee. Trump’s camp has said it won’t commit to a debate until the Democratic party picks a nominee.
Representative Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, responded to the transportation secretary: “Yes, actually. Biden agreed to two and backed out of the second.”
Boebert appears to be referring to Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race, which would make him ineligible to debate Trump come September.
Social media users were quick to mock the Colorado right-wing lawmaker. Some just moved to correct her:
“Biden isn’t the nominee,” one user wrote.
“As he’s not a presidential candidate anymore, he didn’t back out,” another user wrote. “There is literally no reason for him to debate Trump.”
Others more outwardly criticized Boebert and the former president.
“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,” one post on X reads.
“Especially because Biden backed out because he stopped his campaign...why do y’all do this to yourselves,” another user posted.
Last week, Trump’s team signaled they aren’t ready to committ to the September debate.
“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,” a spokesperson for the Trump campaign said.
“Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds,” the spokesperson continued.
Harris was quick to respond to the former president’s decision.
“What happened to ‘any time, any place’?” the vice president wrote on X last week.
Trump previously used those words in March as he and Biden sparred over when they would hold their first debate.
“I have agreed to the previously agreed upon September 10 debate,” Harris told reporters last week.
“He agreed to that previously,” she continued. “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.”
Democratic National Convention delegates will begin voting on August 5 to determine the next presidential candidate. Harris will be the only name on the ballot, however, given no one else qualified for the race, the Associated Press reports.
The Independent has contacted Boebert’s office for comment.
