Posted on 03/06/2026 9:25:23 AM PST by Kazan
A newly resurfaced video is raising eyebrows across conservative circles after comments from Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Trump’s latest pick to head the Department of Homeland Security after removing Kristi Noem, praising and even hugging Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, the officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt.
Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was gunned down in cold blood on January 6, 2021, while peacefully protesting.
She was unarmed, posing no threat, yet Byrd fired a single shot that ended her life as she attempted to climb through a broken window in the Capitol.
But according to Mullin, Byrd is the real victim here! In an interview on C-SPAN from July 2021, six months after Babbitt was murdered, Mullin recounts the moments after the shooting.
“After it happened, he came over. He was physically and emotionally distraught. I actually gave him a hug and I said, ‘sir, you did what you had to do.'” Mullin went even further, telling investigators that he heard Byrd issue a warning before firing, a claim debunked by video evidence showing no such warning was given.
He told media outlets that Byrd “didn’t have a choice” and that his shot “saved people’s lives.”
Sen. Mullin: I guarantee you—I don’t know for a fact, but I guarantee you—he’s never had to pull his weapon in a manner like that before. He was the last person in the world who ever wanted to use force like that; he wasn’t wanting to do that.
I know for a fact because, after it happened, he came over and was physically and emotionally distraught, and I actually gave him a hug. And I said, “Sir, you did what you had to do.” And I mean that.
Unfortunately, for the young lady, her family’s life has changed. It was an unfortunate situation where she lost her life, and some people lost their loved ones.
But the lieutenant’s life has also changed, too, because if it’s the first time you’ve ever had to use lethal force, that doesn’t ever leave you.
And it wasn’t his choice; he didn’t show up to work that day to have to do that. He was doing his job, and he got put in a situation where he had to do his job because there was a member still on the balcony.
If you’re going to present your weapon in a [certain] manner and give commands, and they still don’t listen and they still approach, you don’t have a choice. Either you have to, at that point, discharge your weapon in a manner of self-defense, or that weapon is going to be taken away from you.
It’s going to be used on you, and it’s going to put all of our lives in danger, too.
As TGP’s Brian Lupo noted, video evidence captured Byrd shooting an unarmed Babbitt without warning as she attempted to climb through a narrow window near a barricaded entryway to the Speaker of the House’s office area in the U.S. Capitol.
Following an investigation, Byrd was cleared of any wrongdoing, although questions remain about the escalation to lethal force without attempts to subdue or detain Babbitt.
In addition to Byrd leaving his Glock 22 service weapon in a Visitor’s Center bathroom in February 2019, Byrd also had his police powers revoked on several occasions for failing to meet semi-annual firearms qualifications standards.
Byrd expressed defiance after being pressed about killing Babbitt during an NBC interview months following the killing. He claimed that he saved “countless lives” by killing Babbitt.
He also whined that he has been getting death threats since killing the Air Force veteran. The officer said that it was “disheartening” and that he was simply “doing my job.”
One day before the third anniversary of Jan. 6, that Judicial Watch filed a $30 million wrongful death suit against the federal government for the Capitol Police shooting of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.
The Washington Examiner reports that the suit was filed on behalf of Babbitt’s estate and her husband, Aaron Babbitt, and claims the officer who shot Babbitt was “incompetent” and “dangerous” and should have recognized Babbitt posed no threat to Congress when she entered the House speaker’s lobby.
“Judicial Watch is seeking accountability from the United States government, that is responsible for that awful and unjustified shooting death.”
“Remember, the only homicide on January 6 was the unlawful shooting death, as our lawsuit alleges, of poor Ashli Babbitt. She deserves justice. She deserves accountability. And I tell you, Judicial Watch, and I know all of our supporters, are honored to be able to pursue this lawsuit to get justice for Ashli.”
In May 2025, the U.S. government agreed to pay nearly $5 million to Babbitt’s estate and family.
The settlement officially resolved the case, avoiding a jury trial that had previously been scheduled for July 20, 2026.
Just great. A deep state a-hole who should disqualified if this is true but he won’t be.
It’s a big club, but we’re still not in it.
Leave it to Gateway Pungent to bash Trumps choice
In the heat of the moment when a the facts are yet to come in then it is possible to give the wrong response. That could have been the case here.
“Leave it to Gateway Pungent to bash Trumps choice”
WTH? Right.. just hide the truth..you sound like a kill the messenger gimmicrat.
Trump has to fire this scumbag immediately.
While I'm no fan of Griftway Pundit, is the photo real or not?
And let's be honest. If Trump were better at picking people, he wouldn't have needed to replace his DHS Secretary in the first place.
He's about 50/50 on pics. For every rockstar like Rubio or Vance, we get saddled with losers like Bondi and Noem.
I am guessing a backroom deal was made to replace Noem with him and some Unipart GopE politicians pushed for this clown, trying to set Trump up with a mole.
Trump needs to pull that pick immediately
Who vets these picks? They need to be fired too.
I sometimes wonder if there are any decent people left in our government.
There are: And she was “fired” yesterday.
WTF?
Possibly the biggest unforced effort for Team Trump so far. I am totally pissed off and disgusted.
Dude can guarantee something without knowing all the facts? Ohhhkayyy. Knowing Trump, this may be his way of getting Mullin out of the Senate. Can't guarantee it. I'm no Markwayne Mullin.
“And let’s be honest. If Trump were better at picking people, he wouldn’t have needed to replace his DHS Secretary in the first place.”
He was a disaster at picking people in his first admin. He seemed to have done a much better job this time around but I hope with this he’s not reverting back.
“For every rockstar like Rubio or Vance...”
Who needs democrats when our own side destroys itself?
The mid-terms will be UGLY.
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