The Political Insider

Ashli Babbitt’s widower slammed Capitol Police officer Lieutenant Michael Byrd, the man who came forward as the individual who fatally shot his wife on January 6th, after Byrd claimed to have received numerous death threats because of his actions.

NBC Nightly News anchor Lestor Holt, in an exclusive interview in which Byrd revealed himself to be the one who shot Ashli Babbitt, asked him about the nature of the threats he’s received.

“They talked about, you know, killing me, cutting off my head. You know, very vicious and cruel things,” he said.

“There were some racist attacks as well,” Byrd added. “It’s all disheartening because I know I was doing my job.”

Byrd went on to suggest his actions “saved countless lives” by protecting lawmakers against the rioters and described the threats as “frightening.”

RELATED: Capitol Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt Reveals Identity And Claims He Saved Lives During Jan. 6 Attack

Ashli Babbitt’s Husband Hammers Capitol Officer

Aaron Babbitt, in an interview with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, took issue with Byrd playing the victim over the incident at the Capitol on January 6th.

“I don’t even want to hear him talk about how he’s getting death threats, and he’s scared,” Babbitt responded saying he’s been getting death threats himself despite never having been involved.

“I’ve been getting death threats since January 7th – two, three, five, 10 a day – and all I did on January 6th is (become) a widower,” he added.

Babbitt said, “So you’re going to have to suck it up, bud, and take it.”

Ashli’s widower said that upon watching clips of Byrd’s interview his “agitation is going through the roof.”

RELATED: GOP Rep. Defends Capitol Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt: ‘You Did What You Had To Do’

Byrd Cleared In Internal Investigation

Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and Trump supporter who was unarmed, remains the only person who was killed during the Capitol riot on January 6 – a total of five people died that day.

Former President Trump often wondered why the shooter had not been identified earlier.

“Who was the person that shot an innocent, wonderful, incredible woman, a military woman?” he said in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo last month.

Despite the fact that Babbitt was unarmed, Byrd defended his actions saying he “(knew) members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger.”

Though unarmed, Babbitt had taken part in a breach of the Capitol building and jumped up onto a window that another protester had broken.

Byrd had been cleared months ago of criminal wrongdoing and was cleared internally by the department this week.

The internal review “determined the officer’s conduct was lawful and within Department policy,” according to a statement by Capitol Police.

“The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away,” the statement reads.

Babbitt’s family’s lawyer has argued that she was “not an imminent threat of death or serious injury to anyone.”

“I never expected to lose my wife to political violence,” Babbitt’s widower added.