'Melted down': Lauren Boebert rival taunts her after debate clash

Rep. Lauren Boebert's (R-CO) Democratic rival accused her of "melting down" after their debate this week.

Democratic candidate Trisha Calvarese posted clips of her Tuesday debate with Boebert in which she slammed the Colorado Republican for votes against a veterans benefit bill and a bill that allowed Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, according to Newsweek's reporting.

"Lauren Boebert melted down on the debate stage today," Calvarese wrote on Twitter. "Whether it was floundering to try to defend her disgraceful record on Veterans or having no explanation as to why she missed crucial house votes, she was held accountable for her extremism."

In one particularly spicy exchange during the debate, Calvarese took Boebert to task for opposing a bill that provided benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits.

"I think if you're going to be America first, you can't put veterans last," Calvarese said at one point.

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Boebert is now running in Colorado's 4th Congressional District, as she switched out of her original district last year after she only barely won reelection in 2022 by less than 600 votes.

While the 4th Congressional District is more conservative than her former district, Boebert has nonetheless faced accusations of being a carpetbagger, and has also been criticized for an infamous incident in which she was expelled from a production of the "Beetlejuice" musical for vaping in the theater while groping her date.