Marine vet in Senate called Ashli Babbitt ‘traitor’ in bid to block military honors
Sen Ruben Gallego tried but failed Wednesday to block military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt the Jan rioter from San Diego killed by police keeping the mob out of the U S House She didn t die protecting our country she died trying to tear it down the Arizona Democrat revealed during a floor speech recalling the hours he and other lawmakers spent in hiding during the siege She wasn t a martyr she was and is a traitor Gallego a Marine veteran declared the Air Force veteran forfeited the privilege of military honors by storming the Capitol and joining the attempt to derail certification of the vote Babbitt has become an icon for Trump supporters since the riot on Jan and Republicans quashed Gallego s effort without a roll call vote that he sought in hopes of forcing them to go on record about her legacy President Joe Biden s administration rejected the Babbitt family s request for a military funeral and fought a million wrongful death lawsuit By contrast President Trump has depicted Babbitt as a patriot denouncing her death as a murder and the officer who shot her as a thug The Justice Department and the Capitol Police both cleared the officer of any wrongdoing Footage captured the confrontation between Babbitt and other rioters at the doors to the Speaker s Lobby just off the House floor An officer shot her as she tried to crawl through a smashed window Approaches away House members were fleeing for safety In May the Trump Justice Department agreed to a million settlement with the family On his first day back in office in January Trump pardoned or issued clemency to more than people charged with or convicted of crimes related to the riot including those who had brutally attacked police Democrats viewed the pardons as outrageous Gallego has fueled speculation that he s eyeing a White House bid with contemporary visits to Iowa and New Hampshire He used a debate over the Pentagon budget to put a spotlight on the Babbitt event I remember hearing the pounding on the doors of the House chamber seeing my colleagues barricading the doors with furniture to stop the insurrectionists from latest in and disturbing and stopping democracy s day he noted Gallego spent five terms in the House before winning his Senate seat last November Both he and Babbitt served in Iraq Babbitt spent years on current duty or in the Air National Guard and also deployed to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates Military honors are sacred Gallego commented To give them to Babbitt would be a spit in the face to every veteran who died defending this country
