Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) responded to claims that she used her social media posts featuring Dave Chappelle to “weaponize” the debate around transgender issues. She argued that Chappelle had already engaged in this political discourse.
“Maybe Dave Chappelle could benefit from a counseling session on NPR,” Boebert remarked to Fox News Digital, referencing an interview where Chappelle criticized a photo of them together taken at the Capitol.
“It’s all good. I’ve taken pictures with folks like 50 Cent before, posted them, and nobody made a fuss,” she added.
Boebert had shared a photo with Chappelle in November 2023 on Twitter, captioned, “Only 3 people understand there are only two genders.”
This tweet, which also featured Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, has since been deleted.
Chappelle sparked more conversation this week when he described his surprise at the outrage over their photo.
“I was at the Capitol, and people from all over were coming up for pictures with me without asking about their voting record. Then Lauren Boebert showed up,” Chappelle recounted.
He further claimed that she requested a photo after already taking dozens with others and felt she politicized the moment. “You shouldn’t do that with someone like me,” he remarked.
Chappelle has repeatedly discussed transgender topics in his comedy specials, such as “Sticks and Stones,” “Equality,” and “The Closer.” He noted that Boebert’s actions seemed to draw him deeper into the conversation, which has garnered both criticism and support.
Boebert, on her part, suggested that Chappelle was already involved in these national discussions through his work.
“I think he’s already been quite vocal about these issues, hasn’t he?” she said.
When asked whether she thought she had politicized her moment with Chappelle, Boebert acknowledged that the seriousness of the topic warranted political discussion.
“We’re harming kids, basically destroying their lives with these decisions. In Colorado, we’re castrating bulls, not baby boys. That’s how it should be,” she stated.
