Military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, who was shot to death in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion, have been granted, reversing a Biden administration decision from 2021.
“The US Air Force has RESTORED funeral honors to veteran Ashli Babbitt — reversing a vicious, political decision by the Biden regime to deny them to her and her grieving family,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton wrote on X.
In 2021, a Biden administration official wrote Babbitt’s grieving family to say that the “circumstances preceding her death” meant she would be buried without official recognition of her service to the United States in the Air Force and Air National Guard, according to documents posted by Judicial Watch.
BREAKING: The US Air Force has RESTORED funeral honors to veteran Ashli Babbitt — reversing a vicious, political decision by the Biden regime to deny them to her and her grieving family. Thank you @RealDonaldTrump, @SecDef @PeteHegseth and @usairforce Under Sec @matthewlohmeier!… https://t.co/kdSCWkelUg
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) August 27, 2025
A letter to her family from Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly said giving Babbitt honors would “bring discredit upon the Air Force.”
In May, the Trump administration settled a lawsuit brought by Babbitt’s family for $5 million. This came after Trump’s January grant of clemency to Capitol incursion protesters.
In July, Judicial Watch sought funeral honors for Babbitt and received a response from Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew L. Lohmeier that was sent to Aaron Babbitt, Ashli’s husband, and Ashli Babbitt’s mother, Michelle Witthoeft, according to Judicial Watch.
“On behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, I write to extend the offer for Military Funeral Honors for SrA Ashli Babbitt,” the letter said.
Is this a good move by the Air Force?
“I understand that the family’s initial request was denied by Air Force leadership in a letter dated February 9, 2021. However, after reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death, and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect.”
Lohmeier invited the family to the Pentagon as well.
“Ashli Babbitt’s family is grateful to President Trump, Secretary Hegseth and Under Secretary Lohmeier for reversing the Biden Defense Department’s cruel decision to deny Ashli funeral honors as a distinguished veteran of the Air Force,” Fitton said.
“Judicial Watch’s team spent years investigating, litigating, and exposing the truth about Ashli’s homicide. Judicial Watch is proud to have done its part in bringing her family a measure of justice and accountability for Ashli’s outrageous killing. And our battle for justice will continue,” he continued.
The July letter from Judicial Watch Senior Counsel Robert Sticht to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had asked that the “grave national injustice” committed by denial of funeral honors be rectified.
Ashli Babbitt’s Military Honors have been fully restored! #J6 #Ashlibabbit pic.twitter.com/j7K92lMCEG
— Shelley (@ProudArmymom66) August 25, 2025
The letter noted that Babbitt’s “fatal shooting was not justified” and excoriated to conduct of Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd.
“Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and four armed officers behind him. Seven additional armed officers were behind Ashli, including four Containment and Emergency Response Team officers. Ashli posed no threat to the safety of any officer nor any Member of Congress who stayed after Member evacuation,” the letter read.
“Ashli was begging officers to call for backup before she was shot. Officers ignored Ashli. The only shot fired that day was the one Lt. Byrd fired to kill Ashli. Lt. Byrd was not in uniform. Lt. Byrd did not identify himself as a police officer or otherwise make his presence known to Ashli,” the letter explained.
“Lt. Byrd also did not give Ashli any warnings or commands before firing the shot that killed her. Ashli never saw Lt. Byrd because he was hidden from her view. She was ambushed and defenseless.”
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