Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran killed during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol protest, will receive full military funeral honors after the Trump administration reversed an earlier denial by the Biden White House.
An Aug. 15 letter from Air Force undersecretary Matthew Lohmeier informed Babbitt’s family of the decision.
“After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death, and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect,” he wrote.
Veteran Service
Babbitt served in the Air Force and Air National Guard as a security forces airman, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
She was shot and killed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd while attempting to climb through a barricaded door inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 protest.
An internal review cleared Byrd of criminal wrongdoing.
Lawsuit Settlement
The decision to bestow funeral honors comes after the Trump administration agreed to a $5 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Babbitt’s family.
They had originally sought $30 million.
Divided Reactions
Retired General Mike Flynn praised the decision, saying: “There is no better example of how a leader is supposed to act, than right here in this letter. May Ashli Babbitt now Rest In Peace and her family gain some measure of solace for the wonderful person she was and the light of truth she brought to each of us.”
Democratic Rep. Adam Kinzinger criticized the honors, arguing that Babbitt “dishonored her service by committing insurrection against her country.” He said granting her military recognition was itself a “dishonor.”
Background
Babbitt was among thousands of Trump supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Her death, caught on video, made her one of the most prominent figures from the events of that day.
Well deserved. Her killer should be in prison.