Lauren Boebert raises money over misinformation-fueled Olympic trans boxer uproar

Washington DC - MAGA Republican Lauren Boebert has been outspoken over a recent Olympics transgender boxing controversy, and she's kicked off a fundraiser to help set the record straight.

Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (r.) is raising money for an Olympic boxer that she claims quit her match after getting "beaten up by a man."
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (r.) is raising money for an Olympic boxer that she claims quit her match after getting "beaten up by a man."  © Collage: MOHD RASFAN / AFP & POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

On Thursday, Italian boxer Angela Carini competed in the women's division Olympic boxing, but about 45 seconds into her match with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, she called it quits after getting struck just once.

Carini left the ring in tears, later revealing that the punch "hurt too much, and so I said enough."

The internet quickly ran rampant with rumors that Khelif was a trans woman who had snuck her way into the competition, and social media went into a frenzy.

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Boebert, in particular, has shared numerous posts on the matter, describing the fight as Carini being "beaten up by a man" and blaming "the left's progressive policies."

"Kamala Harris won't condemn or speak out against what she saw, because she supports men playing in women's sports," Boebert claimed in one post about the Democratic presidential candidate. "She's the embodiment of the radical Left."

The Colorado congresswoman, who regularly uses her position to push anti-LGBTQ+ views, has started a fundraiser to raise $196,000 for Carini – the amount she would have gotten from winning her match.

"I believe that Angela deserves better," Boebert told Fox News. "She worked her entire life to reach the very top of her sport, and my heart goes out to her today. It was really devastating."

Is Algerian boxer Imane Khelif a trans woman?

Algeria's Imane Khelif arriving for her women's boxing match against Italy's Angela Carini during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024.
Algeria's Imane Khelif arriving for her women's boxing match against Italy's Angela Carini during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024.  © MOHD RASFAN / AFP

According to The Washington Post, Khelif was disqualified last year by the International Boxing Association after allegedly testing positive for XY chromosomes.

The results were later contested by the International Olympic Committee, which ruled to allow Khelif, who has been competing in boxing for years, to participate in this year's Olympics.

It turns out that Khelif was assigned female at birth and has always identified as such.

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Even Carini, following her defeat, has refused to attack her opponent's gender, and has been critical of herself for bowing out.

Nonetheless, a number of influential figures, many of whom have made their anti-trans views a staple to their public image, continue to push the claim, including Donald Trump, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, and X CEO Elon Musk.

Boxer Logan Paul, who originally described Khelif's win as "the purest form of evil," is one of the few celebrities to retract his criticism, later sharing, "I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app."

Despite the facts, Boebert, who has not congratulated any of the US teams that have won games at the Olympics, announced on Friday that after less than 24 hours of being live, her effort has already raised over $55,000.

Cover photo: Collage: MOHD RASFAN / AFP & POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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