John Fetterman Defends Lauren Boebert After Son's Arrest

Senator John Fetterman slammed the "recreational cruelty" shown towards Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert after her son was arrested on February 27.

Tyler Boebert, 18, faces 22 charges, including five felony counts and over 15 misdemeanor and petty offenses.

Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter that Boebert was in a "family in crisis" and negative comments about them need to be "out of bounds."

"I know the impact this has on children," Fetterman wrote. "I'm calling for restraint because cruelty has substantial collateral damage. We can't ever forget that didn't sign up for this."

Newsweek reached out to Boebert's office for comment via email.

Fetterman's defense of Boebert and her family comes despite past critical exchanges between the two, including the representative and other Republicans bashing the way that Fetterman dresses.

Fetterman took a shot at Boebert in September of last year after the congresswoman was caught on film at a performance of Beetlejuice in Denver behaving inappropriately with her date. She later apologized and said her behavior "fell short of my values."

"I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, they'll make me a folk hero," Fetterman posted on X in response to a Fox News article saying that people felt the bar was "lowered after the Senate dropped its dress code requirement—something blamed on Fetterman.

Boebert previously called Fetterman's casual wardrobe—he is known for wearing hoodies and shorts while working in Washington, D.C.—"unbecoming."

"John Fetterman redefined Casual Friday on a Thursday morning," Boebert tweeted in May last year. "It's truly unbecoming for someone to show up like that to any job, let alone a job that only 100 people are elected to do. There's just no excuse for it."

Shortly before police in Rifle, Colorado, announced her son had been arrested, Boebert posted: "The Biden Crime Family will go down as the most corrupt political family in American history."

One X user posted in response: "Did Lauren Boebert post this before or after her son Tyler was arrested?"

"Please give Lauren Boebert's family the same decency and respect in this time of crisis as she and the rest of the Republicans have given Hunter Biden," another person said.

Boebert has been a vocal part of Republican calls to impeach President Joe Biden. House Republicans are seeking to find out if Biden benefited from any of his son's business dealings while he was serving as vice president. So far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been uncovered.

Another user also defended Boebert and said too many people were "attacking Lauren Boebert & running their nasty mouths about her & her son & his problems."

They added: "When will people realize you are on social media attacking our politicians and their families personal lives is a violation of being on this platform[?]"

The representative is now facing a fight to stay in the House after announcing that she would be switching districts from Colorado's 3rd to 4th.

She is attempting to replace 4th district incumbent Republican Ken Buck upon his retirement later this year and said in a video announcing her decision that her recent divorce and "personal mistakes" had added to a "pretty difficult year for me and my family."

Her attempt to switch districts has led to accusations of "carpetbagging," a term that refers to outsiders moving to a new area for private gain.

During a debate in Fort Lupton in January, Boebert was asked by fellow primary candidate and State Representative Mike Lynch to define the term. "My boys and I needed a fresh start," Boebert said.

Update 2/29/24, 10:33 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.