Last Updated on February 17, 2022
At his campaign style speech in Sarasota, Florida, 45th President Donald Trump mentioned Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force Veteran slain on January 6, for the first time publicly. President Trump revealed that he met with Babbitt’s grieving family, and also asked why so many January 6 protesters are still in jail, and slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for refusing to fight for them.
While discussing “weak” Republican leaders like McConnell, President Trump suddenly changed the subject. “And by the way, who shot Ashli Babbitt? Who shot AShli Babbitt? Who? Who shot Ashli Babbitt? We all saw the hand, we saw the gun,” said President Trump. “I spoke to her mother the other day, an incredible woman, she’s just devastated, like it happened yesterday, devastated.”
TRUMP: "Who shot Ashli Babbitt? We all saw the hand, we saw the gun." pic.twitter.com/1vlYSiI85C
— National File (@NationalFile) July 4, 2021
President Trump added, “You know, if that were on the other side, the person that did the shooting would be strung up and hung. Now they don’t want to give the name, they don’t want to give, but people know the name, people know where he came from, and it’s a terrible thing. Right, shot, boom, there was no reason for it. Who shot Ashli Babbitt? It’s got to be released.”
President Trump then turned the subject to the January 6 protesters who are still in jail, awaiting trial, almost 7 months since the mostly peaceful protests saw grieved Americans and militia members storm the Capitol Building, committing minor trespassing offense and inexpensive acts of vandalism in the process.
“And how come so many people are still in jail over January 6 when nobody paid the price for the fire and carnage and death that took place in Democrat run cities throughout our country, including Antifa, and BLM? How come, how come?” President Trump then slammed McConnell, “And why are our Republican leaders like McConnell afraid to take up the subject and talk about it? A disgrace to our country. We need strong leaders.”
National File recently reported on video that seems to show Capitol Hill Police Lieutenant Michael Leroy Byrd, previously identified as the man who murdered Babbitt by independent journalist Tayler Hansen, fire the lethal shot that killed the Air Force veteran.
To answer Trump’s question…this is the guy who shot Ashli Babbitt.
An unarmed woman was executed from a hidden position by our government. pic.twitter.com/kL8ePRm8Lc
— Maze (@mazemoore) July 1, 2021
President Trump’s speech follows his first recent statement mentioning Babbitt by name since her death at the hands of a still unnamed Capitol Hill police officer. In the short statement, President Trump wrote, “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?”
BREAKING: President Trump released his first statement about the death of Ashli Babbitt. pic.twitter.com/88g0pTyGSd
— National File (@NationalFile) July 1, 2021
