The U.S. Air Force has announced it will provide military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter killed by a Capitol police officer during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The decision marks a reversal of previous denials under the Biden administration.
Babbitt, 35, was shot while attempting to breach a barricaded door near the House chamber during the chaotic effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. She had served in the Air Force and Air National Guard. The Air Force initially refused honors in February 2021, citing concerns that granting them would “bring discredit upon the Air Force” due to the circumstances of her death.
The under secretary of the air force, Matthew Lohmeier, confirmed the decision in an August letter to Babbitt’s family, stating he was “persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect” after reviewing new information. The move follows a $5 million wrongful death settlement paid by the government to her family in July.
The Trump administration, which had previously opposed the honors, has since worked to reframe the January 6 events. On his first day back in office, President Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals linked to the riot, calling their prosecutions “a grave national injustice.”
Babbitt’s family had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government, which was resolved under the Trump administration. The officer who shot her was cleared of wrongdoing by the U.S. Attorney’s office and Capitol Police, who determined he acted in self-defense. Settlement details remain undisclosed.
