As a reporter covering conservative politics, misinformation and conspiracy theories, I’m used to upsetting readers. Angry tweets and comments questioning my motives and talent are pretty standard, especially when I’m disputing a popular conspiracy theory.
“People judge you by the company you keep.”
Illustrating that the infighting among Colorado Republicans hasn’t abated, despite a string of election losses, Colorado Republican National Committeeman and talk radio host Randy Corporon is promoting a political action committee (PAC) called “Primary the Ruling Class” (PRC) taking aim at fellow Republicans who aren’t seen as “America First Patriots.”
We still don’t know many of the details about the recent shooting in Arvada that left two people dead in addition to the initial gunman: Arvada police officer Gordon Beesly and an armed bystander, John Hurley. The Arvada Police Department characterizes Hurley as a “Good Samaritan” and hero whose decision to draw his pistol and engage the shooter potentially saved lives.
Speaking to a crowd of anti-vaccine activists and QAnon followers at Saturday’s Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Colorado state Rep. Tonya Van Beber (R-Eaton) told the conspiracy theorists, “I’m begging you! I’m imploring you! You must continue to broadcast the facts!”
Conservative groups opposed to public health restrictions and vaccines are promoting yet another QAnon-linked rally at the state Capitol this weekend. The event itself is being organized by an anonymous group, Colorado Rising Up, that launched only weeks ago.
“You know the story about the Navajo Windtalkers in World War Two? Imagine if I was a German and I just happened to know Navajo, right? Then maybe I could break the code. Well, that’s what happened.”
In between voting to end funding for cancer treatment and promoting the racist “white replacement” conspiracy theory, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) found time last week to appear on a fringe conservative podcast, where she said she’s working to “expose” state bills from the Colorado legislature, not the U.S. Congress, where she works.
“The election of 2020 will go down as the most questioned election in our country’s history,” wrote Danny Moore, the chair of the new Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, on Facebook. That’s just one example of this conspiracy theorist’s habit of spreading misinformation about the election, COVID-19, and other topics.
Monday evening’s meeting of Keep Colorado Free & Open, a group opposing public-health restrictions, was a tough room for any elected official, but especially a law enforcement officer, even one as conservative as Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.
