In between the multiple rounds of applause and cheers for President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, some seemed unamused by or opposed to some of Biden’s talking points.
A notable moment came when Biden talked about the flag-draped coffins of fallen service members, including his son Beau, who died in 2015 of brain cancer at age 46.
As Biden spoke about Beau, people inside the House chambers reported someone shouting, “You put them in there, 13 of them.” Some in the chambers began to boo and groan at the comment as Biden paused for a brief moment and continued his address.
Now, multiple reports have said the person who made the comment was Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.
Boebert later confirmed on Twitter she in fact made the comment, in reference to the 13 U.S. soldiers who were killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in August as the Taliban took over Afghanistan and Afghans tried to flee the country. The takeover occurred after Biden decided to withdraw troops from the country earlier in 2021.
“When Biden said flag draped coffins I couldn’t stay silent. I told him directly he did it. He put 13 in there,” Boebert said in a tweet. “Our heroic servicemen and women deserve so much better.”
It wasn’t the only time Boebert made comments during the address.
When Biden spoke about securing the U.S.-Mexico border, Boebert, alongside Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, yelled out “build the wall” in reference to former President Donald Trump’s emphasis on protecting the border.
The two were also spotted with their backs turned as Biden entered the House chambers.
In an appearance on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., condemned Boebert and Greene “antics” during Biden’s speech and said he expected other Republicans would join him.
“I don’t think there’s any place for that. It’s inappropriate,” Thune said. “A State of the Union speech, whether you agree with the president or not, is an opportunity to show the American people the respect that the office deserves.”
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
Contributing: Rick Rouan
