U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert asked a group of Jewish tourists visiting a congressman at the Capitol on Thursday if they were there to do 'reconnaissance.'
A rabbi in the group told BuzzFeed News that Boebert, of Colorado, looked at the group 'from head to toe' before making the remark, as he noted that some of them were wearing yarmulkes and had traditional Orthodox beards.
'When I heard that, I actually turned to the person standing next to me and asked, ''Did you just hear that,''' the rabbi said.
Boebert, who is no stranger to making controversial remarks, told BuzzFeed that she was joking and referencing the accusations she faced over leading late-night tours of the Capitol weeks before the January 6 riot.
'I saw a large group and made a joke,' she said, adding: 'Sadly when Democrats see the same they demonize my family for a year straight.'
'I'm too short to see anyone's yarmulkes.'
The rabbi and other Jewish visitors came to the Capitol as part of a meeting with Rep. Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat, to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the end of the Iran hostage crisis.
US Rep. Lauren Boebert asked Jewish tourists at the Capitol on Thursday if they were there for 'reconnaissance.'
Boebert claimed she was just joking about the accusations Democrats made of her holding late night tours at the Capitol weeks before the January 6 riot. Here, Boebert's son and mother are pictured with a Capitol Police officer on December 12, 2020
Suozzi, who is proposing to recognize the hostages of the incident with a Congressional Gold Medal, condemned Boebert for her comments.
'The bottom line is that everyone, especially members of Congress, have to be very, very thoughtful in the language they use,' he said in a statement about the incident.
'Because when you're a member of Congress, you have an important role to play in society. You can't be cavalier in the comments you make especially if they could be perceived as being anti-Semitic, or discriminatory.'
The rabbi added that the Jewish community is on alert following the events last week in Texas where an armed British terrorist held four people hostage at a synagogue as he demanded the US free the anti-Semitic terrorist known as Lady Al Qaeda.
'You know, I'm not sure to be offended or not,' the rabbi told BuzzFeed. 'I was very confused.'
Boebert had been accused of holding after-hours tours of Capitol on December 12, 2020, after pictures of her family at tour
