Rep.
Lauren Boebert (R-CO) sharply criticized Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for doing campaign events in Kentucky, of all places, in the middle of a war with Iran, after he parachuted into Rep. Thomas Massies (R-KY) district to help defeat the libertarian-leaning Republican in a bitter primary fight.
The clash came during a NewsNation interview in which host Chris Cuomo pressed Boebert on the political fallout of foreign policy decisions. According to Mediaite, Cuomo framed the stakes bluntly: When you look at the state of play heading into the midterms, maybe now Cuba, the regime you know, youre going to have to own those decisions when the ballots come back around.
Cuomo argued that many grassroots conservatives expected a different kind of fight from Washington Republicans. That was the war they thought they were gonna be fighting, was a policy battle about fixing the affordability crisis at home that has really real implications in your home state and specifically in your district, he said, asking Boebert, What do you make of that?
Boebert responded by stressing that foreign entanglements are not what her voters care about most. These foreign issues that we are facing are not my top priority. I understand that the president is tackling them hard, she said, adding, I praised him for his work in Venezuela, I praised him for the initial strikes in Iran, and its really tough to defend all the aspects of this war with Iran currently, especially when we see the secretary of war doing campaign events in Kentucky, of all places, in the middle of a war. Thats really difficult to grasp.
She emphasized that her focus remains squarely on the home front, echoing longstanding conservative concerns about overreach abroad and neglect at home. But also, I am listening to my voters, and at this time, the president is on par with what many of them are wanting. Not all of them. Many have reached out as well, saying that they want to end this, but the domestic issues are priority. Theyre certainly my priority.
Massies defeat in the Republican primary for Kentuckys 4th Congressional District followed an aggressive effort by President Donald Trump, Hegseth, and several pro-Israel lobbying groups, who fought tooth-and-nail to unseat the dissident House Republican in what has been described as the most expensive congressional primary in history. The result underscored the growing pressure on GOP lawmakers who challenge the partys foreign policy direction or the influence of powerful outside groups.
Trump has now turned that pressure toward Boebert, threatening on Saturday to back a primary challenger against her as part of his ongoing campaign to punish Republicans he views as disloyal. Yet despite that warning, the Colorado congresswoman has continued to voice support for the president while insisting that conservative leaders must prioritize inflation, affordability, and other domestic crises that directly affect American families.
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