Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she claimed people in Venezuela eat dogs "because they do not have firearms."
During an interview with Newsmax, Boebert took a shot at Democratic politician Beto O'Rourke, who had recently suggested a ban on assault weapons. Gun rights advocate Boebert said "if the citizenry in America is disarmed then we are no longer citizens, we are subjects."
Things got weird when she claimed in Venezuela "they eat the dogs and it started because they do not have firearms to protect themselves, to defend themselves against a tyrannical government."
You can hear what Boebert said in the video below.
\u201cLauren Boebert says if the assault weapons ban is passed, people in America will start eating their dogs because that\u2019s what happened in Venezuela.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1659355113
Dog-eating in Venezuela is not related to the country's lack of firearms. The nation's poorest citizens have engaged in the practice in recent years largely in response to the country's economic collapse, which has resulted in the largest humanitarian crisis in South America.
Boebert was heavily mocked for her remarks.
\u201c\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02It's more funny than tragic. We need everyone armed here in Venezuela and daily massacres so dogs can get gourmet treats and grooming. You can't top US pundit logic\u201d— venezuelanalysis.com (@venezuelanalysis.com) 1659387855
\u201cThe race for dumbest member of Congress keeps going, but it appears a Congresswoman from Colorado has burst into the lead.\u201d— C-Bo the Eggman (@C-Bo the Eggman) 1659387194
\u201cReminder that we had an assault weapons ban between 1994 and 2004. I don't recall Americans eating dogs back then\u201d— Apocalyptica (@Apocalyptica) 1659393721
\u201cLauren Boebert is a joke; a sad, sad joke.\u201d— Mary&Paul (@Mary&Paul) 1659373356
\u201cUmmm @laurenboebert, we have an assault weapons ban here in Canada and I can tell you right now that WE DONT EAT OUR DOGS.\u201d— \ud835\udd6f (@\ud835\udd6f) 1659375570
\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s more horrifying, that #LaurenBoebert is an elected member of Congress or someone like Gorka can give her a platform for her nonsense. #VoteThemOut #wtpBLUE\u201d— DocSusan (@DocSusan) 1659378139
\u201cShe claims we would eat dogs because we don't have a way to defend ourselves.\ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude44\n\nFirstly, banning assault weapons was done in 1994...for 10yrs and there wasn't any dog eating that I knew of.\ud83d\ude44\n\nSecondly, she's more idiotic than I gave her credit for., #LaurenBoebertIsSoDumb\u201d— Sherri \ud83d\udc7bTWDFan4Ever\ud83d\udc7b\u262e\ufe0f (@Sherri \ud83d\udc7bTWDFan4Ever\ud83d\udc7b\u262e\ufe0f) 1659380649
\u201cShe really is about as dimwitted as they come.\u201d— LorettaFaucher\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b (@LorettaFaucher\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b) 1659404570
\u201cThere is literally no way someone can be this stupid\u201d— Ariana Afshar (she/her) (@Ariana Afshar (she/her)) 1659369647
\u201cIf assault weapons are banned, people will eat their dogs. Honest to god, she says that in this video. How do brains like this work?\u201d— Gene - that's all. Just Gene (@Gene - that's all. Just Gene) 1659371662
The United States previously imposed a federal assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004; the ban expired in accordance with its sunset provision.
While the nation has yet to revive the ban, the federal government has recently taken steps to restrict gun ownership in response to several high-profile mass shootings.
Several weeks ago, the Senate reached a deal on a package of safety and gun-related measures to prevent future mass shootings.
The deal includes funds to encourage states to pass and implement so-called "red flag" laws to remove guns from a person who they believe may present a danger to others or themselves as well as money for school safety and mental health resources and expanded background checks.
The deal came amid nationwide outrage over a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. Since then, the nation has been gripped by more mass shootings, particularly one at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois that resulted in seven deaths and more than 40 injuries.
However, the shootings have only emboldened Republicans who have increased their pro-gun sales rhetoric and some, like Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have opted to eat their own, as when she criticized South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham after news outlets reported he was involved in bipartisan Senate negotiations on gun legislation.
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