August 27, 2025 01:26 PM UTC

Rose Pugliese: Real Leadership Means Excuses, Insincerity, and Victimhood

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• by: Colorado Pols

The special legislative session called to address a massive budget hole in Colorado caused by President Trump’s big beautiful bullshit bill (OBBB) came to a close on Tuesday, but not before some late fireworks in the House chamber regarding the conduct of one now-former Republican member. In the process of this discussion, House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese (R-Colorado Springs) demonstrated yet again why she is neither qualified nor able to lead her micro-minority caucus.

Since first taking over the job of Minority Leader in early 2024, Pugliese has been regularly — and justifiably — criticized for her lack of control over her goofy caucus. Pugliese makes no apparent effort to rein in the nuttiest members of the Republican side of the House of Representatives, letting blowhards such as Reps. Scott “There is No” Bottoms, Ken “Dildo” DeGraaf and “Boxwine” Brandi Bradley get away with saying and doing despicable things. On Tuesday, Pugliese showed again why nobody under the Gold Dome takes her seriously as Minority Leader.

As Seth Klamann reports for The Denver Post:

The Colorado House voted Tuesday to condemn the conduct of a now-former legislator who surreptitiously photographed a Democratic colleague and shared it in a private Republican group chat, where more lawmakers ridiculed her clothing.

“A number of you made comments about my appearance in that chat,” Rep. Yara Zokaie, a Fort Collins Democrat, told her Republican colleagues from the House floor before the resolution was passed. “You called me a stripper and a prostitute. Some of you sat silently by. You are complicit, too.”

The lopsided vote served as a public reprimand of Ryan Armagost, a Berthoud Republican who resigned from the legislature last week after Democratic leadership announced plans to pursue his censure.

In April, Armagost photographed Zokaie, who was wearing a dress and knee-high boots, on the House floor. Republican colleagues made crude comments in the group chat, and the photo was also quickly shared on social media, where people made sexual and degrading comments.

All but three lawmakers voted Tuesday for the resolution condemning Armagost.

One lawmaker who opposed it, Republican Rep. Ken DeGraaf, compared the vote to a “lynching.” Fellow Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley also voted no, and GOP Rep. Stephanie Luck asked to be excused from the vote. [Pols emphasis]

[For more background on how this Armagost scandal unfolded, check out this story from Colorado Public Radio].

It’s not much of a surprise to hear Rep. Ken “Dildo” DeGraaf (R-Colorado Springs) make the absurd and offensive comparison of a simple resolution to an actual “lynching”; DeGraaf served as the chief clown in the Republican circus throughout the six-day special session.

House Republicans actually took time out of their time-wasting schedule to get offended about these remarks from House Majority Leader Monica Duran:

But as Taylor Dolven reports for The Colorado Sun, it was Pugliese who inexplicably grabbed the spotlight by trying to turn herself into the real victim here:

While the resolution was focused on the image of Zokaie and Armagost’s actions, it devolved into a tense confrontation between House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs.

Duran had earlier accused Pugliese of refusing to reveal that Armagost had taken the photo. (Democrats learned who took the picture after reviewing security camera footage captured in the House.) Pugliese had denied that claim.

“I am not a liar,” Pugliese said on the House floor, staring at Duran. “That is not fair, that is not right, and you all know it.”

Let’s break down Tuesday’s eight-minute diatribe from Pugliese…

Leadership: It’s Not This

Step One: Make Excuses

If you want to get off to a good start in demonstrating your lack of leadership, kick things off with a half-assed apology:

PUGLIESE: We should absolutely do better. And we need to commit to doing that for the integrity of the institution and for the people we serve. And so if there’s an apology you’re looking for for me, I am sorry that this happened to you. I am.

This isn’t quite as bad as the typical Republican non-apology (I’m sorry if YOU were offended), but this isn’t a whole lot better. But as you’re about to see, Pugliese doesn’t really view Rep. Yara Zokaie (D-Ft. Collins) as the actual victim in this saga.

Next up in our “how not to lead” demonstration: Begin your explanation of victimhood with excuses!

PUGLIESE: Now, the challenges to my character, to my integrity, I want to address that, because that is unfair. First, on April 11th when the incident happened, I wasn’t here that day. I hardly ever take a day off. But I was excused for something that was court ordered. I had no choice. I could not be here on April eleventh.

Yes, I’m the leader of this group…just not on that day.

Step Two: See No Evil

Pugliese decided next to make it clear that she never bothered to read the offensive posts in question. If I didn’t see it, maybe they’ll think it never happened!

PUGLIESE: On April 14th, I came back to the chamber. We had a conversation, you [Majority Leader Monica Duran] and I had a conversation, I didn’t see the Signal chat — you don’t have to believe me, I am telling you I didn’t see the Signal chat. [Pols emphasis] I did not know when you and I had a conversation, I did not know. And I committed to trying to find out who posted the picture on the internet. Then, later, I realized, I was told, still have never read it, [Pols emphasis] that it was Representative Armagost. I had a conversation with your majority leader, your leadership, and I told her it was Representative Armagast.

Pugliese didn’t even bother looking to see what had caused such a disturbance? Why would anyone think this is a good defense?

Step Three: Make Yourself the Victim

Sure, Rep. Zokaie was demeaned and dealt with inexcusable harassment. Yes, Democrats had to do Pugliese’s job of getting to the bottom of this problem. But at the end of the day, what matters most is that Pugliese was sad.

PUGLIESE: MY integrity, my character has been assaulted and I have the right to defend myself. You all can think whatever you want of me. Me and my God, we know the truth.

How dare you assault my character by correctly pointing out my inaction!

Step Four: Rattle Off Meaningless Details

Maybe this made more sense in her head:

PUGLIESE: And then, through a CORA request that I had to go through in order to get not just the footage, but also the CORA request for the footage. On April, so this is April 14th, we had that conversation. On April 17th, the chief clerk submitted a CORA request to Colorado public safety for a copy of the recording to determine for themselves who had taken the picture. That response was received on the 17th and answered on the 18th. Your leadership knew on April 18th that it was Representative Armagast. In the conversation I had with the Majority Leader on the 14th, she said that I should talk to members of my caucus, which I did. I do not condone the behavior, and I was very strict about that. And after that conversation on April 14th, not one person asked me about it. Not the majority leader, she already knew. Not the Speaker. And I can tell you from conversations with the Speaker and past behavior that any time some member of my caucus and there are some people who are shaking their heads have done anything, I have been called multiple times into the Speaker’s office about what the remedy is to make her caucus happy. Not one conversation, not one conversation after that April 14th conversation. Not one conversion after you received that footage on April 18th. Not one from anybody on the other side of the aisle.

Step Five: Remind the Audience of Your Victimhood

PUGLIESE: Instead of being able to focus, I have had to clear my name, which is unfair. And you talk about being a survivor, I’m a survivor too. I’ve been through stuff. And for this to happen, I’m a single mom raising two kids on my own. I show up every day. And every day that you’re not here, I still show up. And I show for my caucus every day, and nobody’s perfect in this room. Nobody. But I have three jobs outside of the legislature, where my character and integrity are incredibly important. I am not a liar. I am NOT. And I do not appreciate even impugning that I would be a liar, especially in a situation like this, that is not fair and it’s not right and you all know it. 

If you don’t want people to call you a liar…just don’t lie about things.

PUGLIESE: And the fact that we’re going to use this to discredit me? Is beyond imaginable. I show up every day to work for this institution, for the integrity of this institution and for these people, for the people that we are here to serve. And I cannot imagine what is going through some of your heads right now. I really, I really cannot. I trusted you. I trusted you. And it is horrible. I’m gonna end on this and you all can come up here and  say that I’m a liar for the 16th time. You know what, the people in this building know my character, the people outside this building know my character. I have never been questioned for my character and my integrity ever not one time in my life. [Pols emphasis]

Oh, this is definitely not the first time that Pugliese’s character has been questioned. But she has four jobs!

Step Six: Repeat Insincere Apology

PUGLIESE: But I want to end on, I am sorry this happened to you. I do not condone the behavior. And I did everything that is in our process, which is to consult with majority leadership. I have done everything I was supposed to do, and if there was more, a conversation would have been nice. But that is not what happened. I have children, too. I understand how scared you are. I am scared every day. I sit in this chair and wonder if I’m a good enough mom to them, if they deserve better than what I have done because I have made sacrifices for them. I understand you. I understand. And I’m sorry.

Who, exactly, is she sorry for?

Step Seven: Remember, YOU’RE the Victim

PUGLIESE: But I didn’t do this to you. And it is unfair. That I was brought into this to challenge my integrity and my character. It is unfair. And so, I will end on, we all are better than this. All of us, every single person in this room, we are better then this. And we need to show the people of Colorado, we are a better than than this! And if anybody has any questions about my character, that can stay on you. But like I said, me and my God, we know exactly the truth, and I have nothing to go to confession for next Sunday. And with that: Let’s do better as an organization. Let’s to better as a house on both sides of the aisle. The people of Colorado deserve that. But we, all as colleagues, deserve that mutual respect. Thank you. 

It’s so unfair that you allowed me to make it look like I wasn’t doing anything to police my caucus. We should ALL do better, right? Right?

Step Eight: Run Away!

Look, it’s hard to be a good leader. But it’s not that difficult to merely be an adequate leader: Just hold your people accountable, apologize when mistakes are made, and make an effort to do the right thing.

Rose Pugliese can’t do any of these things, which is why her caucus looks like a daycare after cake and ice cream is served. If Pugliese wants to be taken seriously, it would help if she took the job seriously first.