One-on-one: 15 minutes with Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert

SOUTHERN COLORADO — Moments before Congresswoman Lauren Boebert voted against impeaching President Donald Trump for the second time, she sat down for an interview with News5, to discuss a variety of topics.

Congresswoman Boebert made headlines on Wednesday when Twitter seemingly suspended her account, and then reversed the decision.

She also was reported to have taken issue with the new metal detectors inside of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Congresswoman Boebert told News5 the metal detectors are unconstitutional, because she says they are obstructing members of Congress while on their way to vote. "I was quoted as being respectful, but defiant. And that's exactly right, I honor our law enforcement officers... Shameful and unjust that the leadership has put metal detectors for members to pass through before entering the House Chambers. The threats that we saw on January 6 did not come from within," said Boebert.

News5 asked what set the metal detectors off when Boebert was passing through, and she said it may have been her cell phone in her purse. She also said she actively works to build relationships with Capitol Police. "This is just a publicity stunt from leadership, and it's very unfortunate that we're wasting our time with this right now," said Boebert.

News5 asked about Boebert's decision to vote against certifying the Electoral College results. She said she took an oath to defend the Constitution, and that many legislators have objected to the Electoral Collage certification in the past. "I don't believe that it is extreme, or radical, or unconstitutional, to look into our elections and stand for election integrity," said Boebert.

On the morning of January 6, Boebert tweeted "Today is 1776."

News5 asked her to explain what she meant in that tweet. She called 1776 the foundation of our country, and said she knew she would be objecting to election results that day. "I knew that I would be signing my name to these documents and face horrible rhetoric from the other side. I have been called horrible things, and there have been many violent threats that have come my way from that, but I knew that I was standing on the side of righteousness. I knew I was standing on the side of liberty, and American values," explained Boebert.

Boebert told News5 that the criminals involved in the riot should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

To watch her entire speech on the House floor on January 6, click here. It's important to note, no evidence of voter fraud has been discovered that would reverse the results of the presidential election.

However, critics claimed Boebert's rhetoric or social media presence contributed to the violent mob at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Boebert responded to those claims by saying the Democratic Party has normalized violence. "They have encouraged this violence, and they have shown it to be an effective tool to get their agenda across the line... It's very unfortunate that there was no accountability in those riots that we've seen all throughout 2020," said Boebert, referring to the Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the country last summer.

News5 spoke with Professor Josh Dunn last week about the U.S. Capitol riots. Dunn teaches political science at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He pointed to research that shows violent protests have historically undermined support for the protesters.

Boebert told News5 she has spoken to Capitol Police who believe there were instigators involved in the riots last Wednesday. "Certainly, we haven't had full investigations to see exactly what happened, and none of this is justified or condoned on any front, but I do believe that we need to look into this fully. But instead, Democrats are running us through a sham impeachment," said Boebert.

In a video statement posted to Twitter, Boebert said the people who committed crimes at the U.S. Capitol "were not conservatives." We asked her to explain exactly what she meant by that comment. "Even if there were members who were involved in this who supported President Trump, these are not conservative values. Conservatives do not tear down our country. We do not tear down our cities. We do not destruct. We do not bash in windows, or kill police officers. These are not conservative values and I condemn every single person who was involved in anything like that... I'm not really concerned about who voted for who on November 3. I'm saying these attacks do not reflect conservative values," said Boebert.

News5 also asked Boebert about protests that happened throughout Colorado's 3rd Congressional District last week, calling for her resignation. The rallies were arranged by Rural Colorado United, and Boebert said she had no comment on the group.

However, Boebert did speak to constituents who may be unhappy with her actions, and want her to resign. She referenced her staunch support of the Constitution. "We are seeing so many people who are silenced right now. We are seeing businesses who are shuttered. I will always stand for them to have the freedom to go about and live their lives to the best of their ability... I really can't wait to get to work for the people of Colorado's 3rd District. There are many issues when it comes to our land, our water, our energy needs, our economy, and these are all issues that I want to tackle right away, but I'm being prevented from doing so because we are trying to impeach a man who will be out of office in less than a week," said Boebert.

In the last few minutes of the interview, News5 asked about Boebert's top priorities for her first 100 days in office. "I am thrilled that America has become energy independent, and I want to pursue energy dominance. I am for all of the above energy, but I am not for government choosing winners and losers. And we've seen that a lot with these renewables, which are really unreliable," said Boebert.

The Western Slope of Colorado sits on the Piceance Basin, which is thought to be the second largest natural gas reserve in the country. Boebert said she has worked in the natural gas industry, and her husband has drilled for the resource for nearly two decades. Boebert said she wants to pursue an "all of the above" energy solution, and spoke in support of the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas project. According to the Grand Junction Sentinel, the project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in March of 2020. The pipeline project in Coos Bay, Oregon, would allow Western Colorado natural gas producers to supply their gas to Asian markets.

Boebert also mentioned the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters, which was recently relocated to Grand Junction. "It's been very beneficial to have them there, and I was very concerned to hear threats of possibly moving that agency back to Washington D.C. We don't need bureaucrats that are 2,000 miles away controlling what happens in our backyards," said Boebert.

News5 reached out to the Colorado branch of the Bureau of Land Management, which said they have not heard of any potential move of the headquarters back to D.C. We also emailed the national branch of the department, and are waiting to hear if this is a valid concern.

To close the interview, News5 asked Boebert how she plans to try and unite with her Democratic counterparts, to achieve bi-partisan support on future issues. "As long as we can agree on the Constitution, then there's not much that can divide us. So, if we can come together on that, and the understanding that government has a limited role in our lives, and that people want more control of their own lives and less government intervention, then I think that we can all go a long way together... The Democrats do have a very slim majority, so I think working across the aisle will be much more possible than it has been in the past," said Boebert.

In total, News5 interviewed Boebert for approximately 15 minutes, before she had to go to the House Chambers.