Trump administration offers military funeral honors to Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt
PBS NewsHour3 days
Air Force Grants Military Honors to Jan. 6 Rioter Babbitt
Above: Michelle "Micki" Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, attends a House hearing in the U.S. Capitol on June 13, 2023. Image copyright: Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Once again the Trump administration is attempting to rewrite history by honoring those who attempted to overturn the 2020 election rather than holding them to account. This decision comes on the heels of pardoning more than 1,000 supporters who rioted on Jan. 6. Even worse, this funeral will come at taxpayer cost at a time when federal funding is being cut for vital research and programs.
Pro-Trump narrative
It took more than four years but the Air Force has finally made the correct decision to properly honor Babbitt, who deployed overseas multiple times in the name of the United States. The police officer who shot Babbitt hasn't faced consequences, so this is the least the federal government can do to make sure her death is recognized as a tragedy that took the life of someone who served her country.