Boebert: Second Amendment is for ‘hunting tyrants’

Congresswoman-elect Lauren Boebert says with a giggle that the Second Amendment “has nothing to do with hunting, unless you’re talking about hunting tyrants, maybe.”

Boebert, who represents the western two-thirds of Eagle County and most of Colorado’s Western Slope, expressed this opinion in an interview with Breitbart News at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit held in Florida late last month.

Tyrants aren’t an abstract concept for Boebert; she has used the term to describe both Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

When militia members entered the Michigan state capitol in late April and May armed with assault rifles, Boebert tweeted, “Whitmer should not be in power. She’s become an outright tyrant.”

Boebert also voiced her support of their actions to RealVail.com’s David O. Williams, using the same language as her recent interview.

“It is a protection against a tyrannical government,” Boebert told RealVail.com in May. “So I don’t see that we would ever have to use our Second Amendment rights against our government, but that is what it’s for. It’s not for hunting. It’s not for target shooting or for sport.”

Months later, federal authorities arrested 14 Michigan militia members plotting to publicly execute Gov. Whitmer and other elected officials after storming the Capitol. At least two of those men attended the armed protests that took place inside the statehouse.

In early December Boebert characterized Polis’ public health orders as tyranny in an op-ed for a right-wing Colorado blog.

“America was founded in order to prevent tyranny and theft from an overzealous government,” Boebert tweeted. “The government should not arbitrarily destroy us. @GovofCO, end these unconstitutional lockdowns and stop killing our small businesses!”

Since becoming Congresswoman-elect, Boebert also publicized her desire to carry her handgun on the U.S. Capitol complex grounds. Current regulations forbid members of Congress from carrying firearms in the House chamber or nearby areas, and D.C. police plan to contact Boebert about allegations she’s illegally carrying a concealed weapon in the District.

It’s unclear if Boebert was joking in her recent interview or if she truly believes she has a constitutional right to hunt those she believes are “tyrants.”

An email inquiry to her campaign spokesperson asking for clarification as well as if Boebert has any concerns that others may take her statement as an endorsement of using deadly force against elected officials, was not immediately returned. This article will be updated with any response received.

Boebert, who has previously attended rallies where the Proud Boys were demonstrating, did not respond to requests for comment on President Donald Trump’s exhorting of the white nationalist group to “stand back, stand by” during a presidential debate with President-elect Joe Biden in September.

Washington, D.C. police are bracing for civil unrest Tuesday and Wednesday as the Proud Boys and other groups deemed a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI converge on the capitol for the counting of electoral votes confirming Biden as the next president. Trump is egging on the groups, urging them to protest the legitimate election results and promising it “will be wild.”

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Colorado Times Recorder on Dec. 31. RealVail.com contributed additional reporting.