House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defended Capitol Police officer Lieutenant Michael Byrd, who shot and killed unarmed Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt during the January 6th, 2021 riot at the Capitol.
It’s quite the different story than the one told by his new buddy in Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said during a meeting of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Tuesday that Babbitt was “murdered.”
“Ashli Babbitt has, there’s never been a trial,” Greene said. “As a matter of fact, no one has cared about the person that shot and killed her and no one in this Congress has really addressed that issue.”
McCarthy was asked by a HuffPost reporter if he agreed with Greene’s sentiments.
“I think the police officer did his job,” he admitted.
REPORTER: “Do you think Ashli Babbit was murdered, or do you think the police officer who shot her was doing his job?”
MCCARTHY: “I think the police officer did his job.” pic.twitter.com/9eaJaAz5Yk
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 2, 2023
RELATED: Report: Documents Show Ashli Babbitt Unarmed, Judicial Watch Says ‘No Good Reason’ For Shooting
Kevin McCarthy Defends Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt
Support Conservative Voices!
Sign up to receive the latest political news, insight, and commentary delivered directly to your inbox.
Babbitt, a Trump supporter and Air Force veteran, was the only person killed during the riot when she was gunned down.
Capitol Police officer Lieutenant Michael Byrd identified himself as the shooter in an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lestor Holt.
He said taking down Babbitt, who was unarmed but tried to climb through broken glass into the House chamber, showed the “utmost courage.”
Lt. Michael Byrd, who shot Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol riot, says he has been in hiding for months after he received a flood of death threats and racist attacks.
“I believe I showed the utmost courage on Jan. 6 and it’s time for me to do that now” pic.twitter.com/2kaAxy8yGc
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 26, 2021
Internal documents from DC Metropolitan Police, obtained through a FOIA lawsuit by the conservative group Judicial Watch, show witnesses had not seen Babbitt holding a weapon.
They also provide conflicting reports as to whether she was verbally warned before being fired upon by Byrd.
Texas Representative Troy Nehls said the findings could have led to manslaughter charges for Byrd, if not worse, though that is debateable.
Lt. Michael Byrd would have been charged for manslaughter — if not murder — had he shot Ashli Babbitt in Texas.
She was unarmed and presented no threat to herself or the officer.
HER MURDER WAS UNJUSTIFIED.https://t.co/f2nb5yrCMY #FoxNews
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) October 13, 2021
The revelations also prompted Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton to declare there was “no good reason” to shoot Babbitt.
“The Biden-Garland Justice Department … have much to answer for over the mishandling and cover-up of this scandalous killing of an American citizen by the U.S. Capitol Police,” Fitton said.
Judicial Watch announced that it received 532 pages of documents from the DC Metropolitan Police about the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021, in the U.S. Capitol Building. READ: https://t.co/t5WEH4ydwy pic.twitter.com/bwXbGDheXE
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) October 18, 2021
Trump Fires Back
Former President Donald Trump said he “totally disagree(s)” with McCarthy’s assessment, calling Byrd a “coward” and insisting Ashli Babbitt “was murdered.”
Byrd, he claimed “was not just ‘doing his job’ when he shot and killed Great Patriot Ashli Babbitt at point blank range,” Trump said on his Truth Social media platform.
“He was not a hero but a COWARD, who wanted to show how tough he was,” the Republican presidential candidate insisted. “ASHLI BABBITT WAS MURDERED!!!”
Byrd, though, had been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing and was cleared internally by the Capitol Police Department in August of 2021.
The internal review “determined the officer’s conduct was lawful and within Department policy,” according to a statement by Capitol Police, and as such he would not face disciplinary action.
Babbitt’s family’s lawyer has argued that she was “not an imminent threat of death or serious injury to anyone.”
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”
Read this Next on ThePoliticalInsider.com
Joe Manchin’s Wife’s Organization Received $200 Million from Omnibus Bill
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.
So Byrd’s duty was to kill unarmed intruders?
Well!
Ashli Babbitt was MURDERED.
Until such time as the Capitol Police and Congress with the Senate insist on a proper lawful Jury Trial of the apparently cowardly brutal murderer – IN PUBLIC – then Justice is IMPOTENT and ALL the above are acting UNlawfully.
Where a CRIME as serious as MURDER is alleged, there MUST BE a Trial – no IF’s or BUT’s – arrogant and RACIST politics must not over-rule the Constitution.
Justice for ASHLI BABBITT !!!!! Get OFF your BUTT McCarthy get JUSTICE DONE !!
strike Two
When the corrupt are the judges, the reporters and the legislators, justice can neither be sought nor found.
Kevin you are crapping in your nest boy
Well, it most certainly didn’t take him long to revert to form.
I WAS starting to think mccarthy would be a good speaker, NOW I think he’s an BLIND IDIOT!!!!
Allowing the Capitol Police, who was under the thumb of Nancy Pelosi at the time of this murder, to investigate itself is highly problematic.
Although I like what McCarthy did with the committee assignments, we must remember and never forget that he is truly Deep State. Give him time and his true colors will shine.
An unarmed white female veteran protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by a trigger happy black Capitol officer, later identified as Lieutenant Michael Byrd, for what amounted to a misdemeanor trespassing, which does not call for the use of deadly force without consequences. Was this a hate crime? We will never know. The case was whitewashed and covered up.
McCarthy, has obviously been play acting as a responsible Conservative America-loving Patriot. As it turns out his inner Evil Democrat persona overcame his acting ability!
Since when is it lawful to shoot an unarmed woman that is simply walking in a crowd and not threatening your life or anyone else’s. Was this officer protecting someone or himself. No one else in the video seemed frightened, armed or hostile??????
ASK; Would McCarthy say the same if Ashley was His daughter?
There you have the rub* Political
Royaltyis “Rules for thee, but Not for meeeeeeee”.Babbitt was an imbecile whos own criminal actions got her killed in the process of breaking and entering. It is what it is.
He lost my respect just another establishment POS. Disappointed.
Well, that sure as H didn’t take long for McCarthy to show his true colors.
Well, Mr. Speaker didn’t waste any time showing his true (chameleon) colors.
I’m confused. Cop shoots someone and politicians protect the cop over the innocent person… um… how is this news?
How in the hell can shooting and killing an unarmed citizen be justified as doing your job? She was murdered by any definition, and anyone defending that officer needs to pull their head out from where it’s been planted!
what the heck the wrong man for the job .should watch his p’s and q’s
McCarthy you just made your first big mistake! No! He was not doing his job! Why would you need to shoot an unarmed woman? When there were other police officers standing around?
Thank the lord that is now over; is McCarty also satisfied w/ the lengthy period its taken for a SPEEDY trial for the supposed insurrectionists/ Pelosi’s strong leadership in not calling out the National Guard, that Trump offered?
Politicians like Manchins should be removed from office for treason
I just wonder if the roles reversed, and it was a white pig shooting a black pos like the murderer, would the decision be the same? Or would blm and anqueefa burn DC to the ground. You decide. I already know.