House Republican Lauren Boebert was mocked on Wednesday by one of her GOP colleagues at the Washington Press Club Foundation's annual congressional dinner.
At the beginning of her keynote address, Representative Lisa McClain, a Republican from Michigan, said: "Please keep your hands above the table and I know it's date night for some of you but no inappropriate touching. That includes you Lauren Boebert. No vaping either."
A 19-second clip of the remark was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the "Acyn" account, which posts footage related to U.S. politics, where it received over 1,600 likes and 94,000 views.
McClain was referencing an incident that took place in Denver, Colorado, on September 10 when Boebert and a male companion were asked to leave a performance of the musical Beetlejuice for repeatedly vaping and taking photos. Footage later emerged of Boebert and the man groping each other during the show, for which she later apologized.
Newsweek reached out to Boebert for comment outside normal working hours.
Initially Boebert's team denied she had been vaping during the performance, but the Colorado Republican admitted she had been after video from the theater was released.
In a statement, she issued an apology, commenting: "The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I'm truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community. While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that.
"There's no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family. I've tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That's unacceptable, and I'm sorry."
Lauren Boebert at the U.S. Capitol on September 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Boebert was mocked by a fellow House Republican at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s annual congressional dinner on Wednesday. Lauren Boebert at the U.S. Capitol on September 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Boebert was mocked by a fellow House Republican at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s annual congressional dinner on Wednesday. Anna Moneymaker/GETTY
According to its official website, the annual congressional dinner is a "long-standing Washington tradition" that "brings Capitol Hill and the media together for a light-hearted evening, a departure from partisan politics and the issues of the day."
Headliners advertised included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Raphael Warnock, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Republican Nancy Mace.
On January 5, Boebert joked about the Beetlejuice incident herself during an address to Baca County Republicans. Referencing the theater from which she was expelled, the Colorado Representative said: "Many of you known who I am... I don't have to ask like the ushers at the Buell Theater."
Earlier this month, Boebert announced she won't seek re-election for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District in November, and that she instead wants the GOP nomination for the state's more conservative 4th Congressional District.
Boebert described the move as "the right decision for me personally, and it is the right decision for those who support our conservative movement."
However, speaking to Newsweek, John Padora Jr., a Democrat hoping to secure the party's candidacy for Colorado's 4th Congressional District, said he was "completely blindsided" by the move and branded Boebert "disingenuous and opportunistic" and "a carpetbagger."