Lauren Boebert Obama Clip Goes Viral

A decade-old clip of Representative Lauren Boebert referring to then-President Barack Obama as "my president," and saying she "would never do anything to disrespect" the president has resurfaced, going viral on social media.

Boebert, an outspoken Republican who represents Colorado's Third Congressional District, famously heckled current President Joe Biden during his 2022 State of the Union address. She has also come under fire for expressing the hope that Biden's "days be few" during a church event in in 2023.

The GOP lawmaker, however, expressed a different approach when it came to the White House during a July 2014 appearance on CNN—years before she entered politics.

At the time, Boebert appeared for a remote interview with then-CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin about her since-shuttered Colorado restaurant Shooters Grill, which attracted headlines over its wait staff openly carrying pistols on their hips while serving.

Shooters Grill, which was located in the town of Rifle, closed in the summer of 2022. At the time, Boebert claimed the restaurant was closing as the landlord decided not to renew their lease, insisting that the decision wasn't political.

While speaking about the restaurant, Baldwin asked Boebert about specific elements of Shooters Grill's decor, which included a hung copy of the Declaration of Independence and a copy of the Bill of Rights. The establishment also had a sign declaring that those inside were "proudly clinging to my guns and Bible."

After discussing the sign, Baldwin asked if it was in response to comments Obama made, sharing an audio clip of the then-presidential candidate speaking from the 2008 campaign trail: "And it's not surprising then they get bitter. They cling to guns or religion or antipathy, to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Returning to the studio, Baldwin told Boebert that Obama was "caught off-mic talking about people in rural areas clinging to their guns and religion. I have to ask is the sign in your restaurant a direct jab at Obama?"

"No," Boebert responded. "I would never do anything to disrespect my president. I believe it is an office that is in place by God and I would never say anything to disrespect him. I didn't know that that comment was even made. I actually just picked up the sign at a local store."

"No, I stand corrected," Boebert added as she appeared to glance at the sign in question. "A friend of mine bought that for me, and I thought it was fitting."

The clip was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the political commentary account PatriotTakes. As of press time, the clip has garnered more than 365,000 views.

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Boebert via email for comment.

Colorado is an open-carry state with a few exceptions, according to the Colorado Legal Defense Group.

Colorado has no express laws about the right to openly carry a firearm. But the right to possess a gun is generally protected under Article 2, Section 3, of Colorado's constitution.

In her interview with Baldwin, Boebert said that all of the staff at her restaurant had their safeties on their firearms as they worked.

"I mean, guns nowadays or firearms are manufactured great," Boebert said. "The holsters, they cover your trigger. You know, there are no accidents that are going to happen. I mean, there's no such thing these days. We do keep them [in] holsters and [there is] no reason a waitress is ever allowed to unholster. If something did happen, we are not anticipating an attack. We do not expect it."

Boebert added that the restaurant had "patrons that would carry and would stand up for my girls that we wouldn't even need to do anything."

Ahead of being voted into office in 2020, Boebert gained attention after she confronted former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke during a town-hall meeting in Aurora, Colorado, in September 2019. At the time, O'Rourke had pledged to seize assault rifles in the state.

"I am here to say: Hell, no, you're not," Boebert said, vowing to fight the Democratic hopeful's plan.

According to The Denver Post, the gun rights activist had driven three hours from Rifle to the event to speak out against O'Rourke's proposal.

"Self-defense is a right that we have that shall not be infringed in America," she said at the time.