United States extended military funeral rites to fallen Capitol insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt
U.S. Air Force to Offer Military Honors to Ashli Babbitt
In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. government has decided to offer military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, a U.S. Air Force veteran who was killed during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Babbitt, a senior airman from California, was shot dead while attempting to climb through a broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker's Lobby inside the Capitol. Her death at the age of 35 has gained martyr status among Republicans.
The U.S. Air Force spokesperson reviewed the circumstances of Babbitt's death and made the decision to offer military funeral honors to her family. This decision was later confirmed by Matthew Lohmeier, an under secretary of the Air Force, who stated that the offer was "long overdue."
Lohmeier wrote a letter to Babbitt's family, inviting them to meet him at the Pentagon. In the letter, he stated that he was persuaded that the previous determination regarding Babbitt's military honors was incorrect.
The offer of military honors comes amidst controversy, with some suggesting it is part of former President Donald Trump's attempts to rewrite the aftermath of the 2020 election. Trump had previously offered to provide military honors to Babbitt, a gesture that was not taken up by the Biden administration at the time.
However, it is worth noting that the Trump administration did agree to pay just under $5 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit that Babbitt's family filed over her shooting. At the time of her death, Babbitt was wearing a Trump campaign flag wrapped around her shoulders.
Despite the controversy, the offer of military honors for Babbitt has been welcomed by her family, who have been advocated for by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group, who claimed that they had been denied military honors from President Joe Biden's administration.
As of September 9, 2025, there is no information available about Matthew Lohmeier's location or stance on this specific day. The letter from Lohmeier to Babbitt's family was dated August 15.
