Reps. Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert came to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s address to a joint session of Congress and played on their phones.
ABC News’s Will Steakin tweeted:
Matt Gaetz appears to be on his phone during Zelenskyy speech.
He just showed Lauren Boebert something.
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) December 22, 2022
Garetz and Boebert also blew through Capitol Police security and refused to be screened.
The Independent (UK) reported, “Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert were seen on the first floor of the Capitol building walking down a hallway outside of the House floor when they veered right towards the chamber. Before they were able to reach the door, two US Capitol Police officers in suits stopped the pair, addressing Mr Gaetz by name, and informed them that they needed to go through a security screening before entering, gesturing to a nearby metal detector.”
Gaetz and Boebert responded by ignoring security and walking into the chamber.
Gaetz and Boebert blew off the security screening that was in place because a foreign head of state was addressing Congress, and then went into the speech and didn’t bother to pay attention to the speaker.
The behavior of the two Republicans is disrespectful to Zelenskyy and an embarrassment to the United States. Guests of our nation should be treated with respect. Rep. Gaetz and Boebert should not be playing on phones and ignoring the pleas of a man whose nation is fighting for its existence.
America deserves better, but for at least the next two years, a circus of embarrassing clowns will be running the House.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association