A photo of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., accepting a “Hottest Woman in Congress Award” has been mocked by liberals and celebrated by conservatives online.
SO WHAT
At least culturally, the GOP is clearly the new party of the working class.
WHAT HAPPENED
Boebert, a freshman “American first” congresswoman, appeared on The First’s “The Jesse Kelly Show” earlier this month after accepting the program’s inaugural award for congressional hotness.
PatriotTakes, a popular liberal Twitter account, resurfaced a photo of Boebert posing with the placard Friday, highlighting the misspelling of her name and the inclusion of a $27 Red Lobster gift card.
- “There is zero chance she doesn’t take the whole frame down to Red Lobster to redeem the gift card,” read one popular reply.
- “Lauren Boebert Accepts Misspelled ‘Hottest’ Award With Red Lobster Card” blared a Newsweek headline.
- “Lauren Boebert is too much of a national security risk to even be allowed in Red Lobster,” tweeted progressive blogger Bill Palmer, referring to claims Boebert is a dangerous extremist.
The critics didn’t seem to realize — or didn’t care — that Boebert and Kelly were in on the joke.
“Jesse, I do think that $27.43 is under the gift limits, but if we check with [the House Committee on] Ethics and it’s over, this is coming right back to you,” Boebert quipped in a clip from the Kelly’s show that he tweeted Friday.
- “Yes, ma’am, I understand that we’re going to do the best we can to up that to $30 next year, depending on how the show does,” Kelly replied.
THE PARTY OF THE WORKING CLASS
Boebert, a high-school dropout turned restaurant owner, and other members of the House Freedom Caucus, have helped give the GOP a more populist vibe in the Trump era.
- Although the GOP has yet to define a new governing agenda, the likes of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., have sought to chart a working-class policy future for the party.
- Meanwhile, moderate Democrats and un-woke liberals have complained that the historic party of the working class is increasingly adopting the priorities and language of liberal elites.
A 2020 Bloomberg News analysis found that truckers, construction workers, carpenters, builders, electricians, cops, mechanics and maintenance employees were among the occupations most likely to donate to Trump.
- By contrast, teachers, professors, therapists, lawyers, HR department staff, finance professionals and bankers overwhelmingly gave to Biden.