Lauren Boebert's Real Reason For Getting Into Politics Has Been Revealed

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It may feel like Lauren Boebert has been involved in politics since the dawn of time, but she actually hasn't been in the game that long. According to her government website, she only first held office in 2020. Boebert had a tough childhood, but made a name for herself as one of the staunchest supporters of the Second Amendment.

In fact, she used to own a restaurant called Shooters Grill, which was a controversial establishment for several reasons, including allegedly allowing a teenage employee to open carry at work (via Colorado Pols). That eatery is a major reason Boebert made the switch from the restaurant business to politics. On an August 2024 episode of the podcast "Humanity Against Tyranny," Boebert explained her career change. She credited the initial decision to switch things up to her children. The mother of four sons described how annoyed she was with all the new rules, regulations, and fees that seemed to continuously pop up in the restaurant business.

"Everything was becoming more and more difficult to live our very best free and prosperous life," she said, explaining that she later decided to quit moping about things and try to change them instead. "I'm going to attempt to be the change I want to see, or at least the preservation of what I want [to] preserve within our constitution and what makes our country the best country in the world." 

The change seemed like a no-brainer, since Shooters Grill was losing big money — more than half a million dollars — from 2018 through 2020, according to the Daily Beast, and Lauren Boebert had four sons to feed. As a congresswoman, Boebert is paid $174,000 annually. However, politics may  not be proving to be as lucrative as she had hoped.

Political reporter Bryan Metzger tweeted in June 2025, "With the caveat that she makes $174,000 per year and doesn't have to disclose the value of any personal residence, Boebert is likely one of the poorest members of Congress." Caitlyn Kim, another reporter, pointed out on X that Boebert didn't even disclose her earnings from book royalties — which suggests either she didn't earn any, or didn't earn enough to warrant a disclosure. Boebert published "My American Life" in 2022.

So, while it may seem like the congresswoman has a lavish life that she shares with her family, looks can be deceiving. With or without her political career, money troubles seem to follow Boebert wherever she goes.