President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech Tuesday night was interrupted by a Republican lawmaker who criticized his administration's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
The outburst from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, prompted boos and jeers from Democrats in the chamber.
Boebert's comments came as Biden was honoring armed forces members who became sickened after exposure to burn pits. Those military members include his son, Beau, who died of cancer in 2015.
"These burn pits that incinerate waste, the waste of war, medical and hazardous material, jet fuel and so much more," Biden said in his address. "And they come home, many of the fittest and best-trained warriors in the world, never the same. Headaches, numbness, dizziness, a cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin."
That's when Boebert shouted out.
"You put them there — 13 of them," she said.
Boebert's comments were an apparent reference to the Aug. 26 bombing near the Abbey Gate at the Kabul International Airport, where efforts were underway to evacuate U.S. military personnel and allies after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Nearly 200 Afghans were also killed in the blast.
Military officials say the bombing was carried out by ISIS-K.
Republicans have blamed Biden for the military's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, claiming that more should have been done to keep military members safe.
"The left is pissed because I called out Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that left 13 of America's finest in a flag-draped coffin," Boebert tweeted Wednesday morning. "They are mad because a speech was "interrupted". Ask the the (sic) families who lost their loved ones how interrupted their lives are now."
The left is pissed because I called out Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that left 13 of America’s finest in a flag-draped coffin.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) March 2, 2022
They are mad because a speech was “interrupted”.
Ask the the families who lost their loved ones how interrupted their lives are now.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, later tweeted criticism of Boebert and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. He also criticized Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, who joined Boebert in heckling Biden.
"The president was talking about his dead soldier son. You and @RepMTG were a national disgrace tonight. But worse — because you are irrelevant — Kevin McCarthy owns all of this. He won't condemn you because he is a colossal coward," Swalwell said.
The president was talking about his dead soldier son. You and @RepMTG were a national disgrace tonight. But worse — because you are irrelevant — Kevin McCarthy owns all of this. He won’t condemn you because he is a colossal coward. https://t.co/e94UrgS0Ep
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 2, 2022
Boebert is the latest to speak out of turn during the State of the Union in what's becoming a semi-regular occurrence.
In 2009, during his first joint address to Congress, President Barack Obama was interrupted when Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouted, "you lie!" while Obama was speaking about immigration.
In 2020, gun control activist Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the 2017 Parkland school shooting, was escorted out of the State of the Union after yelling out during a State of the Union by President Donald Trump. Guttenberg said he was detained after that incident.
Guttenberg criticized Boebert in a tweet Wednesday morning.
"2 years ago, I yelled out "what about victims of gun violence like my daughter" at SOTU. I did it for gun violence victims & spent most of night in jail. @laurenboebert did it to be an asshole," he wrote. "Why was she not removed & spending her night in jail?"
2 years ago, I yelled out "what about victims of gun violence like my daughter" at SOTU. I did it for gun violence victims & spent most of night in jail. @laurenboebert did it to be an asshole. Why was she not removed & spending her night in jail? https://t.co/vHlAG4VJNe
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) March 2, 2022
