Honoring the memory of a supporter fatally shot during the January 6 Capitol protest, President Donald Trump vowed to seek justice for the grieving family of Ashli Babbitt.
In a recent interview, the president promised to consider a government settlement for Babbitt’s family and review the employment status of the officer who killed her.
This commitment highlights President Trump’s ongoing support for those he calls “patriots” who were unfairly targeted following the Capitol events.
Babbitt, a U.S. Air Force veteran and devoted MAGA supporter, was shot while attempting to enter a barricaded area during the January 6 protests.
“I’m a big fan of Ashli Babbitt, okay, and Ashli Babbitt was a really good person who was a big MAGA fan, Trump fan, and she was innocently standing there – they even say, trying to sort of hold back the crowd,” the president said.
Her family has since filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government, seeking accountability for what many Trump supporters view as an unjustified killing.
When informed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) actively opposed the Babbitt family’s lawsuit, President Trump expressed surprise.
“You’re telling me that for the first time. I haven’t heard that,” the president stated.
The officer who shot Babbitt, Michael Byrd, was not only cleared of wrongdoing by the DOJ but was promoted to Captain in 2023.
The president did not mince words when addressing Byrd’s continued employment with Capitol Police.
President Trump questioned the officer’s reputation and promised to investigate the situation further.
“I think it’s a disgrace. I’m going to look at that too. His reputation was – I won’t even say. Let’s find out about his reputation, okay? We’re going to find out,” the president remarked.
He has already granted clemency to roughly 1,500 supporters involved in the January 6 protests.
By doing so, the president seeks to show his commitment to those he believes were unfairly prosecuted under the Biden administration.
He has also proposed creating a “compensation fund” for January 6 defendants who have faced severe legal and financial hardships.
President Trump has consistently maintained that January 6 protesters were peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights while being unfairly labeled as insurrectionists.
In comparing the Capitol protest to recent leftist riots, the president noted that vandalism at Tesla dealerships by environmental extremists caused more damage.
President Trump’s pledge to revisit the Babbitt case has been described as a commitment to equal justice under the law.
For the Babbitt family and thousands of other January 6 defendants, the president’s promise offers hope that true justice may finally be served.
