Politics

Lauren Boebert got so mad at boxer Imane Khelif that she’s raising thousands for her opponent

Rep. Lauren Boebert, (R-CO) during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, (R-CO) during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Photo: Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK

While conservatives are outraged that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif – who is a cisgender woman – has been allowed to participate in the 2024 Olympics, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is going a step further and raising thousands of dollars for an Italian boxer who gave up on her fight against Khelif.

Online, though, people pointed out that Boebert hasn’t even congratulated any of the Americans who have won medals at the Olympics so far.

Earlier this week, Italian boxer Angela Carini gave up on her fight with Khelif at the Olympics after just 46 seconds. She gave a teary press conference and many on the right – including the GOP’s presidential and vice presidential nominees – expressed support for her and accused Khelif of being transgender, even though she is not.

But in all that outpouring of outrage, one elected Republican decided to do even more and raise money for Carini.

“Angela Carini, the Olympic female boxer from Italy that was defeated in 45 seconds by a biological man, deserves better,” Boebert wrote. Khelif is not “a biological man.” She was assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman, making her a cisgender woman.

“I’ve created a GiveSendGo with the goal of raising what Angela would have made from a gold medal! Please consider chipping in,” Boebert continued. The Olympics don’t award any prize money, but media reports have said that the Italian government promised gold medalists $196,000.


Boebert then tried to blame this on Vice President Kamala Harris, who is not in charge of the Olympics.

“Many of us watched in horror as Angela Carini was beaten up by a man in the Olympic boxing match today,” Boebert wrote, again referring to Khelif, who is a woman, as a “man.” “Kamala Harris won’t condemn or speak out against what she saw, because she supports men playing in women’s sports. She’s the embodiment of the radical Left.”

The Olympics are run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which the U.S. vice president doesn’t control. Also, the IOC instituted stringent eligibility requirements this year that resulted in zero trans women competing in the Olympics.

Hours later, Boebert said that she had raised $55,000 for Carini.

“Thank you so much for your support!” Boebert wrote. “We’ve got more to go – every dollar will go to Angela, let’s hit our goal! The people are FED UP with men in women’s sports. I sure hope Kamala Harris is taking notice. She’s supported this BS from day one and still does. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”

Many on the right were outraged that Carini was punched in the face at an Olympic boxing event, including Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).

“I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!” Trump wrote on his Twitter clone, Truth Social.

“This is where Kamala Harris’s ideas about gender lead: to a grown man pummeling a woman in a boxing match,” Vance wrote on X. “This is disgusting, and all of our leaders should condemn it.”

Many people responding to Boebert pointed out that she, like many on the right who were outraged at Khelif, hasn’t expressed much support for U.S. Olympians. Trans people on X also pointed out how the right invented a trans woman in the Olympics to get mad at because the IOC had effectively banned all trans women.

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