Lauren Boebert, who burst on to the national stage earlier this year when she confronted Democratic presidential candidate Robert Francis O’Rourke in Colorado over his extremist anti-gun proposals, announced today that she is running for U.S. Congress as Republican in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

Boebert, 33, is the owner of Shooter’s Grill in Rifle, Colorado, which has drawn considerable attention as the staff in the restaurant all open carry firearms.

Boebert confronted O’Rourke in September when the now-failed Democratic presidential candidate was increasing political polarization across the country with his declaration that he would confiscate all semi-automatic firearms from law abiding citizens.

“Gun-owning Americans who heard your speech and heard what you had to say regarding ‘Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15s and AK-47s’ – Well, I am here to say, ‘Hell no, you’re not,’” Boebert, who has several children, told O’Rourke.

There’s a battle for the heart and soul of our country that conservatives must win. I'll get the job done. https://t.co/cgrLVF8MEi #squadwrecker #defeatthesquad #AOCnemesis — Lauren Boebert for Congress (@laurenboebert) December 8, 2019

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, Boebert says that her experience growing up poor and learning the value of work and other conservative principles made her successful and attracted her to the Republican Party.

Boebert says that she is excited to take on far-left Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Rashida Tlaib (MI), and hopes to be able to campaign for their Republican opponents in an effort to remove them from office because she believes their ideology is among the greatest threats to the United States.

Below is Boebert’s exclusive interview with The Daily Wire:

QUESTION: What inspired you to get into politics?

BOEBERT: My interest in politics came from personal life experiences. As a kid, I grew up poor. My mom would hand me her EBT welfare card to go buy groceries and I remember feeling so bad about that, and then when I got my first job at McDonald’s and earned my first paycheck, I realized how much better that felt. It made me start questioning all of the failed promises Democrats had made to my mom and so many adults in my life. That thought process started taking me down a path where I read the Constitution and I started embracing conservative values. I started standing up for myself and empowering others to do the same, so I found a home in the Republican party. One of the more rewarding experiences I’ve had is getting involved in my church and counseling women at the local jail to help them be independent and self-sufficient because that same mindset of being in charge of my own life absolutely changed my life. As an adult, I couldn’t be more proud to now be able to provide for myself and my family. I can defend myself, and now I employ people, so I think it’s my responsibility to stand up and share that message at a time when the Left is trying to take so much of that away from all of us.

QUESTION: What led to you being an outspoken advocate for gun rights?

BOEBERT: The fear of not being able to defend myself. There was an incident near my restaurant where a man was literally beaten to death and I thought I better be able to defend myself and my staff, so I got a gun and started open-carrying it. My carrying made everyone around me feel safer and pretty soon my wait staff at my restaurant started open-carrying as well while they worked. I learned pretty quickly that there were a lot of people that wanted to hear my 2nd Amendment message, but my message has always been one of being self-reliant and being free to exercise all of our constitutional rights.

QUESTION: Earlier this year you stood up to Democratic presidential candidate Robert Francis O’Rourke and his extreme anti-gun agenda. What was that experience like?

BOEBERT: I was nervous, but determined. He had no right to come to our state and tell us how he was going to take away our guns. I remember when he said, “Hell yes,” he was going to take away our guns, and I thought, “Hell no, he isn’t!” So, I drove three hours to his anti-gun rally, had my Glock on my hip, and took the microphone and told him exactly what I was thinking: hell, no, you aren’t. His crowd wasn’t too excited about that, but after I left I got so much support and outreach that I just knew that I needed to do more and start standing up for all the people and help secure the rights we have under our Constitution.

QUESTION: You are primarying a Republican, Scott Tipton, in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. What led to you make this decision?

BOEBERT: For me, it’s bigger than running against anyone in particular, but he, like a lot of Republicans across the country, have been utterly silent while the far-left takes a wrecking ball to our country. Republicans need a strong leader who will stand up to AOC and these far-left lunatics. We don’t want Green New Deals, we don’t want socialized medicine, and we don’t want government to be our nanny. We want freedom.

QUESTION: What are the top three issues for voters in your district, and how do you plan on addressing those issues?

BOEBERT: Colorado’s 3rd CD is a rural district with lots of opportunities in energy, but in many ways has been left out of the new tech-based economy, and is now being taken over by policies being shoved our way by left-leaning Democrats that have taken over state government. Making sure our energy industry is given every opportunity to succeed, fighting for fair access to markets and lowering the cost of health insurance by allowing it to be sold across state lines is a good start. I certainly will hit every conservative’s checklist of how to vote, and I’ve been a strong supporter of President Trump and his efforts on free trade since day one. How can the Democrats not take a vote on USMCA?

QUESTION: Why should minorities, women, and young people vote Republican, and how do you plan to reach them?

BOEBERT: This is such a passion for me. I employ women and minorities and there is nothing more empowering than when they succeed on their own and don’t turn to the government for help. They need to hear my story. I’ve been poor; I’ve lived through tough times; I’ve made mistakes – but I’m also living the American dream. I think we need more leaders that can share that message.

QUESTION: How should the GOP respond to some of the issues, like healthcare and student debt, that Democrats propose addressing with socialist policies?

BOEBERT: I think we need better messengers. I can’t for the life of me think of more than of a handful of Republicans that are making the argument. I truly believe we are in a battle for the heart and soul of our country and conservatives must win. Margaret Thatcher said we needed to win the argument and then we will win the votes. It feels like we are skipping the argument part and just try hard to appease and go Democrat-light. Let’s try things our way. President Trump shows what good policy can do for jobs. I’ll do the same, and I’ll be loud and clear about it.

QUESTION: How should Republicans respond to the Democrats becoming the party of identity politics?

BOEBERT: It’s crazy how Democrats divide everyone up into these groups and then try to tell us how Republicans are dividing the country. Nothing could be further from the truth. Republicans should show people a path forward based on hard work and opportunity, and I think my story will certainly showcase that to a lot of people who need more conservative role models. It’s encouraging to see the employment numbers President Trump has delivered for minority communities, so hopefully that starts waking people up to our desire to have America be great for everyone.

QUESTION: What do you view as the greatest threat to the United States both from a foreign and a domestic standpoint?

BOEBERT: I think the Democrat socialist agenda is taking a wrecking ball to our country. I’m running to take the fight to AOC and the rest of the squad. I have confidence in President Trump’s foreign policy. Certainly China is a huge concern, but quite honestly it’s refreshing to see how the President puts America first and it makes bureaucrats here and abroad squirm.

QUESTION: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish with respect to policy?

BOEBERT: I don’t think President Trump is getting nearly the support in Congress his policies deserve. I’ll be a representative conservatives cheer on from their televisions because I won’t back down from the Left. I didn’t just sit around when Beto said he’d take our guns; I told him straight to his face [that] hell no, he wouldn’t. I’ll do the same with the leaders of the Left anytime they pipe up with one of their crazy policies.

QUESTION: A lot of the narrative surrounding the climate has come from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her proposed “Green New Deal,” which her former chief-of-staff even admitted was about implementing socialism. The “Green New Deal” is a socialist vision that the Democratic Party is trying to sell to America. How do you counter that? What is your vision for America?

BOEBERT: My vision comes from the reality of my daily life. I sign the fronts of paychecks. I empower people to be successful and live good, moral lives, and when they get off track, to be compassionate about getting back on track. I tell people that my husband and I are raising our boys to be men. That means their success will come from faith, family, respect, and hard work, not entitlement, safe spaces and government.

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and the rise of anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party?

BOEBERT: They need to go, immediately. They are tearing our country apart. Sign me up for rallies their opponents hold.

QUESTION: What areas of the Republican Party’s platform do you think need to be addressed, and/or changed?

BOEBERT: I think it’s more about standing up for what we believe in and stop letting the Democrats chip away from it. I’d like to try things our way. That’s why I support President Trump on so many issues.

QUESTION: What do you hope to inspire in other elected officials and future leaders to help make America a better place?

BOEBERT: I think if I’m successful in my campaign, if a woman who decides to stand up for her country with my background and real-world experience is given the opportunity to do so, then I think a lot of other people will get inspired to do the same. We need more citizens who’ve lived through hard times and still believe in themselves and our country to actually be in Congress. Too many haven’t and think they understand us. They don’t.

QUESTION: What is the story behind your business and how has being a successful business owner prepared you for running for Congress?

BOEBERT: When times got tough for my family, I decided to open a restaurant in a location where nobody thought it would ever work. It was a risk, but I always had the confidence in myself. It was a western-themed restaurant since we are located in Rifle, Colorado. But since we started open-carrying it’s become more than that. It’s a message that we are actually allowed to stand up for our constitutional rights; that the Second Amendment shall not be infringed upon; that the First Amendment and every other amendment matters, too. I’d also say owning a business, employing people, delivering great customer satisfaction, that’s been a better education than I ever could have gotten anywhere else. If more members of Congress had run restaurants and had to work for tips, we’d be a whole lot better off.

QUESTION: When you are not working, what do you do for fun?

BOEBERT: My husband and I live a wonderful life with our four boys. We play in the outdoors, we own goats, a rooster, ATV’s. Colorado is my home, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the life we live.