It was reported earlier this that Rep. Lauren Boebert's (R-CO) 18-year-old son had been arrested and charged in connection with a string of property theft crimes, and quite predictably, ideological and political opponents of the GOP congresswoman on social media were quick to unleash a flurry of insults and mockery of her troubled family.
One rather notable exception to the partisan pile-on was Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who despite clear political differences stepped up to defend Boebert's family and condemned the "recreational cruelty" he'd witnessed aimed at her and her son, Fox News reported.
The display of decency from Fetterman which was once common in our society but has become increasingly rare earned the Pennsylvania senator laudatory compliments for his character and grace from pundits across the ideological spectrum.
On Wednesday, Sen. Fetterman shared an X post featuring a CBS News report about the arrest of Tyler Boebert, Rep. Boebert's oldest son, who now faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges linked to a series of vehicle break-ins and property thefts in their hometown of Rifle, Colorado.
In his post, Fetterman appeared to reference the majority of negative comments in response to the CBS News post and wrote, "This is a family in crisis and the recreational cruelty I see on social media needs to be out of bounds."
"I know the impact this has on children. I'm calling for restraint because cruelty has substantial collateral damage. We can't ever forget that they didn't sign up for this," he added about the congresswoman's family.
Fox News highlighted a few examples of the praise Fetterman received from various conservative, liberal, and populist commentators who found his uncommon display of decency toward a partisan opponent refreshing in this grueling era of no-holds-barred political combat at all times.
As for the Boebert family, The Colorado Sun reported this week that 18-year-old Tyler was arrested Tuesday afternoon and subsequently released from custody around 24 hours later after a court appearance on Wednesday before a magistrate judge.
He faces five felony counts, including "criminal possession of identification documents involving multiple victims" plus "conspiracy to commit a felony," as well as more than 15 misdemeanor charges and petty offenses that included "theft of less than $300, criminal possession of a financial device, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor."
Boebert is alleged to have been involved with other juvenile suspects in a recent string of vehicle break-ins and property thefts in the town of Rifle that included stealing cash, credit and debit cards, and even driver's licenses from multiple vehicles, and then attempting to or actually using those stolen cards to make purchases.
He was reportedly identified by way of surveillance cameras that caught him using a stolen debit card while wearing a sweatshirt that featured the distinctive name and logo of the "Shooters Grill" bar and restaurant his parents used to own and operate before it was shuttered when his mother ran for office.
Fox News reported that Rep. Boebert said in a statement, "I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for."
"It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track," she added. "I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him. As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen."
The "difficult, public challenges" Tyler has faced likely include the bitter divorce between his parents, which has resulted in his father Jayson being arrested and charged following a domestic dispute that involved all three of them, and his mother's ongoing move from Rifle to Windsor on the opposite side of the state so that she can run for office in the 4th District after the 3rd District she currently represents was redrawn to be made more competitive for a Democratic challenger.
