Rep. Lauren Boebert made a scene at the Capitol on Thursday after she tried to get “a guy” kicked out of a women’s bathroom—but it all turned out to be a huge mistake, leaving her scrambling to apologize.
The Colorado congresswoman was overheard on the House floor saying she had found Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, in the women’s restroom. Boebert seemed sure that McBride wasn’t allowed in there, thanks to a bathroom ban recently reinstated by Speaker Mike Johnson that blocks transgender people from using single-sex bathrooms.
Boebert told colleagues she saw someone walk into the bathroom, and without thinking, she blurted out, “You shouldn’t be here.” An anonymous Republican lawmaker who overheard her said Boebert later realized her mistake and went back to apologize.
The Daily Beast reported that Bloomberg’s Billy House was nearby when Boebert “stormed out” of the restroom, complaining to security about “a guy” inside. He watched as four women walked out of the bathroom after her, but Boebert was still upset and headed back into the restroom with Rep. Nancy Mace by her side. Just moments later, they both walked out and quietly returned to the House floor.
Boebert admitted she’d made a mistake in a statement, saying, “I made an error regarding a mistaken identity. I apologized, learned a lesson, and it won’t happen again.”
McBride, however, confirmed she was never confronted by Boebert and reiterated her commitment to following the Capitol’s bathroom rules.
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who has been vocal about opposing transgender people’s access to certain bathrooms, had her own role in the situation, supporting the push to keep transgender people out of restrooms that match their gender identity.
Once again, Boebert’s attempt to stand out in the headlines for controversial moments seems to have backfired, leaving her with a lot of explaining to do.
