Newsmax host Greg Kelly gave U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert a chance to move past a difficult debate against her Democratic opponent, Eileen Laubacher, but Friday night's segment appeared to do the congresswoman few favors.

“Hey, let's take a look at you and your debate against this Laubacher person. Hit it,” Kelly said on “Greg Kelly Reports” before rolling footage of the exchange, posted to YouTube. Debate clips posted online during campaign season often circulate far beyond a broadcast's original audience.

In the clip, Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral, stood beside Boebert as the two debated the violence of President Donald Trump's war in Iran. “War is very serious,” Laubacher said. “The fact that 150 schoolgirls were killed is serious—”

Boebert interrupted before she could finish. “I've also heard my opponent agree on a podcast that war is good for business, laugh and say ‘right’ to a man saying ‘war is good for business because American companies make money,’” Boebert said.

“War is the most awful thing that can happen,” Laubacher attempted, over the crosstalk.

“… And you did not say it was awful,” Boebert continued. “You laughed and chuckled and said, ‘right.’ And I've also heard her on a radio show saying the Afghanistan war was worth it.”

That drew a sharp rejoinder from Laubacher: “I believe only one of us has been to war. If you really believe no war is worth it, then you should be voting against this [Iran] war.”

Kelly then cut the video and turned to Boebert with a squint and a tight lip. “Well, uh … Mmm-Hmmm. … Tell us what we need to know, or what your constituents need to know about her.”

Boebert responded with a series of accusations, claiming Laubacher was “propped up by the deep state” and had switched parties only because she could not beat Boebert in a Republican primary.

“But this is someone who does say that war is good for business,” Boebert continued. “She is a multimillionaire who has multiple millions in defense stocks and does not have any intention to release those stocks, if she were to be elected. She also owns multiple homes, one outside of the district where she's still sending and receiving mail to, while most of my constituents are still trying to purchase their first home. She is a Deep State candidate who is cosplaying as a moderate who says that war is good for business and also refuses to call out extremists in her own party.”

Kelly offered his own warning: “watch out, sometimes, for these, these, these veterans who have been weaponized by the deep state. They try to use their military service as a weapon. I love the military, but they work for us, not the other way around. And I see dangerous signs of that being weaponized. I don't like it.”

“Lauren, good luck,” Kelly added, before ending the interview.

The contest unfolds in a midterm cycle in which every seat in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives is on the ballot, and individual races can help determine which party holds the chamber's majority. Boebert, a Republican first elected to the House in 2020, is seeking reelection in Colorado.

Boebert has been embroiled in a string of scandals during her time in Washington, and the damaging stories have been especially prevalent during the current campaign cycle, making her a more vulnerable target for Democrats. Her 21-year-old son was arrested in August on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, according to NBC News. Last month, a recurring critic, David Wheeler, accused Boebert in a House Ethics Committee complaint of having sexual relationships with male and female staffers.

On Friday, Trump endorsed Boebert, as reported by Newsweek — months after he called her “dumb” and “weak-minded” for campaigning for Rep. Thomas Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president and of his hiding of the files of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, according to Alternet.

With the campaign now heading toward November's election, developments to watch include how the House Ethics Committee proceeds with the complaint filed last month and whether Boebert and Laubacher share a debate stage again.

Source: Alternet