By this point, Americans have gotten accustomed to Lauren Boebert’s embarrassing tan fails that match Donald Trump’s. While it’s clear Boebert draws inspiration from Trump and the likes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. representative from Colorado had a role model right at home. Boebert’s mother, Shawna Bentz, also goes heavy on the fake fan. That’s just one of the things Boebert has in common with her mother.

Advertisement

Like herself, Bentz became a mother in adolescence. “My mom was 18 when she had me, which inspired me to be a mother when I was 18 years old,” she told The Denver Post in 2023. They passed that tendency on, with Boebert’s oldest son, Tyler, also becoming a father at 18 in 2023. Bentz shaped Boebert’s life in many ways, beginning when she welcomed her in unusual circumstances. Boebert grew up believing her father was wrestler Stan Lane, something that was disproved only in 2023.

Because she was a single parent, Bentz could live whatever lifestyle she wanted. And she had a hard time settling down, so Boebert bounced around. “My mom could be, in a word, ‘flighty,'” she described in her 2022 memoir, “My American Life,” going over the host of boyfriends her mother had during that time. With such an erratic life, Boebert and Bentz had no one else but each other to lean on most of the time. The conservative congresswoman holds no grudge. Instead, she appreciates the hard lessons. Bentz obviously also learned a few things from her daughter, particularly her style sense.

Advertisement

In May 2025, Lauren Boebert paid tribute to Shawna Bentz on X, previously known as Twitter, in a heartfelt Mother’s Day post that highlighted the ways she encouraged her to dream big. Boebert included a series of photos featuring Bentz, which showed that mother and daughter are into the orange look that has taken over Republican figures. In one (seen above), Boebert and Bentz sat with cups and saucers in a lighting that did their fake tans no favors. Boebert’s in particular was accentuated by her blue blazer and white shirt and pants.

Advertisement

But Bentz’s wasn’t much better. In her case, the natural red tint to her neck and chest contrasted with her tan face, drawing unwanted attention to her unflattering bronzer. In another photo, Boebert showed she has other things in common with her mother beyond her fake tan and dark hair. It featured Boebert and Bentz at a Donald Trump rally, sporting Make America Great Again hats. Mother and daughter may now be staunch supporters of the president and his far-right politics, but this wasn’t always the case.

Both Bentz and Boebert have flip-flopped on their political alliances over their years. While Boebert has argued that she witnessed the Democratic failings firsthand throughout her liberal upbringing, her mother was a registered Republican between 2001 and 2013. For her part, Boebert was a registered Democrat for two years before switching. Regardless, they seem to fit right in among the bronzer-loving Republicans of today.

Advertisement