Donald Trump is once again taking aim at the Department of Justice, this time over its continued defense in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ashli Babbitt; the Air Force veteran who was shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In a recent appearance on Newsmax, Trump expressed outrage over how the case is being handled and said he had not been informed the DOJ is still actively opposing the lawsuit. He called Babbitt’s death “a disgraceful shooting” and said her family deserves justice.
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“I’m a big fan of Ashli Babbitt,” Trump said. “She was a really good person, a big MAGA supporter. And she was innocently standing there… they even say she was trying to hold back the crowd. A man did something to her that was unthinkable when he shot her.”
Babbitt, 35, was a decorated Air Force veteran, Qanon supporter from San Diego who joined a crowd of Trump supporters in breaching the Capitol during the certification of the 2020 election results. She was fatally shot by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd as she attempted to climb through a broken window leading to the Speaker’s Lobby. Byrd has since remained on active duty and was not charged following a DOJ investigation that deemed the shooting justified.
The president went a step further, saying he wants to know more about Byrd’s background. “I’m going to take a look at that. I’m going to look at that too. His reputation, won’t even say. Let’s find out about his reputation.”
The Babbitt family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government, claiming the shooting violated her civil rights and was not legally justified. The DOJ has maintained that Byrd acted in defense of lawmakers and staff under threat from the rioters and is continuing to seek dismissal of the lawsuit.
During the interview, Trump also repeated past claims that many people prosecuted for their role on January 6 were treated unfairly. “There’s never been a group of people treated so badly,” he said. “Some of them didn’t even go into the building… and they were devastated by how they were treated in court.”
Trump has previously issued pardons and voiced support for several individuals linked to the Capitol riot, a stance he doubled down on during the Newsmax appearance.
With Trump now back in the Oval Office, his comments raise questions about how his administration may handle ongoing January 6-related cases; and whether the Babbitt lawsuit will take on new political and legal significance in the coming months.
