Rep. Lauren Boebert, an ally of President Donald Trump, has spoken out against the ongoing Iran war, describing it as “detrimental on many levels.”
The Colorado Republican made the remarks during a debate with Democrat challenger Eileen Laubacher on Monday, just three weeks out from Election Day.
She joins a small minority of GOP lawmakers who have openly criticized the Middle East conflict, which polls indicate is broadly unpopular and could dampen Republican prospects in the midterms.
“I never wanted us to be in war, at war in Iran,” Boebert said when asked whether the conflict has been worth the cost. “I do agree that this is expensive, and I hear from Republicans, unaffiliated and Democrats that they want this to come to an end, and so do I.”
“We are having conversations with the Department of War and with the president and his administration on a regular basis about how to come to an end with this,” she added.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, has spoken out against the ongoing Iran war, describing it as ‘detrimental on many levels’ during a debate on Monday night (Getty)
Still, Boebert said she supports Trump as the commander-in-chief, noting that “he is not the first president to use force.”
Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral, portrayed Boebert’s vocal opposition to the war as insufficient, pointing out that she refused to vote for war powers resolutions that sought to curb Trump’s authority in Iran.
“Your job is to vote whether or not you think the war should continue, and Ms. Boebert has voted now, I believe, five times to keep this war going,” Laubacher said. “And so, you can say all day long that you don’t want there to be war and you want it to draw to a close, but you’re not using your voice to raise the voices of the people you describe in Congressional District 4 who are opposed to this war.”
Boebert previously voiced opposition to supplemental war funding in March. “I have folks in Colorado who can’t afford to live. We need America First policies right now,” she said at the time.
The war, which began in late February when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, has now stretched on for seven months with no clear end in sight. Trump has repeatedly suggested it could come to a close soon.
The conflict has led to the deaths of at least 18 U.S. service members, cost taxpayers upwards of $30 billion, and spiked fuel prices across the country.
A recent poll indicates Boebert holds a narrow lead over Laubacher — 45 percent to 40 percent — in Colorado’s 4th congressional district.