In a stunning twist that has set off fresh waves of outrage, Ashli Babbitt, the MAGA loyalist fatally shot inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, will now receive a funeral with full military honors. The reversal, made possible by a Trump appointee, has reignited fierce debate over whether rioters who stormed the Capitol should be remembered as patriots or insurrectionists.
Babbitt, a retired senior airman in the U.S. Air Force, was 35 years old when she was killed. She was shot by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd as she attempted to crawl through a smashed window toward the Speaker’s Lobby, where lawmakers were being evacuated from a violent mob of Trump supporters. Byrd was quickly cleared of wrongdoing, but Babbitt’s death became a rallying cry for Trump’s base, who claim she was “murdered.”
🚨BREAKING: The U.S. Air Force will provide military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt —including a flag presentation, Taps, and a full honor guard.
She wasn’t a victim. She wasn’t a hero. On Jan 6, she ignored repeated warnings to STOP breaching a secured area and paid the price. pic.twitter.com/DMdGcc16cB
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) August 28, 2025
Back in 2021, Air Force leaders firmly rejected her family’s request for a military send-off. Then-Lieutenant General Brian Kelly said honoring Babbitt in uniform would “bring discredit upon the Air Force,” noting that her actions, storming the Capitol in protest of election results, went against the very oath she had sworn to uphold. That decision stood for years.
Until now.
The reversal comes courtesy of Matthew Lohmeier, the Trump-appointed Under Secretary of the Air Force, who reportedly told Babbitt’s family that he flatly disagreed with the earlier ruling. In a letter, Lohmeier wrote that “after reviewing the circumstances” of her death, he was persuaded the original determination was “incorrect.” He even went so far as to invite the family to the Pentagon to personally offer his condolences.
The Trump administration will be giving military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the January 6 insurrectionist who stormed the Capitol with a violent mob.
They are also giving her family $5 million in taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com/jobmPALdgg
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 29, 2025
For Babbitt’s loved ones, it was a victory. They had long insisted she died a martyr’s death and fought relentlessly to restore what they called her “honor.” “After reviewing the circumstances of SrA Babbitt’s death, the Air Force has offered Military Funeral Honors to SrA Babbitt’s family,” an Air Force spokesperson confirmed.
A military funeral, should her family proceed, typically includes a uniformed honor guard, the haunting sound of “Taps,” and the ceremonial folding and presentation of an American flag. The date of Babbitt’s funeral has not yet been announced.
The Trump administration will be giving military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the January 6 insurrectionist who stormed the Capitol with a violent mob.
They are also giving her family $5 million in taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com/jobmPALdgg
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 29, 2025
But the optics of the decision are already sparking backlash. To critics, the idea of draping military honor over a rioter who took part in the worst attack on Congress in modern history is a slap in the face to democracy itself. To her supporters, it is long-overdue recognition of a woman they see as a patriot cut down in her prime.
The decision also comes just months after the Trump administration agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Babbitt’s family for nearly $5 million. That payout, combined with the reversal on military honors, is being viewed as a significant and controversial win for Trump’s loyal base.
Still, one fact remains unchanged: on that fateful day in January, Babbitt joined a mob that smashed windows, pushed through barricades, and tried to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Whether she is remembered as a victim, a hero, or a lawbreaker now depends on which side of America you are standing on.
