GOP candidate embarrassed on stage as his 'odd' Venezuelan gang claim crumbles

A Republican running for governor suffered a brutal on-stage embarrassment as the moderator tore apart a wild claim about Venezuelan gangs.

Scott Bottoms, a GOP primary candidate for Colorado governor, walked back his claim that upwards of 50,000 Venezuelan gang members are in the state, in a video posted by local journalist Kyle Clark.

"You have claimed without offering evidence that there are 45,000 to 50,000 Tren de Aragua gang members in Colorado," Clark told Bottoms. During the 2024 presidential election, MAGA politicians and influencers insisted that members of the gang Tren de Aragua were taking over parts of Colorado.

"That's 10 to 20 times the worldwide membership of the gang," Clark told Bottoms, calling the claim "odd."

A stuttering and shaky Bottoms explained that he was confused when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier told him that upwards of 50,000 Venezuelans arrived in the Denver metro area seeking asylum.

"I misunderstood what the ICE agent was saying," Bottoms said.

He admitted, "I got that wrong," and realized it after returning to check with ICE agents.

Clark accused Bottoms of being "confused about what you saw on the news," and also found that he had lied about sheriffs agreeing to be deputized to combat Venezuelan gangs.