The U.S. Air Force has reversed its earlier stance and will now grant full military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old Air Force veteran who was fatally shot by police while storming the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot. The decision, communicated in an August 15, 2025 letter from Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier to Babbitt’s family, marks a significant and controversial turn in how the government is choosing to memorialize one of the most polarizing figures to emerge from the Capitol attack.
Babbitt, a San Diego native and veteran of both the Air Force and Air National Guard, served as a security forces airman in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the day of the Capitol riot, she was among the crowd of Trump supporters protesting the 2020 presidential election results. As rioters sought to breach the House chamber, Babbitt attempted to climb through a broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby. U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, positioned on the other side, fired a single shot, killing her instantly. Byrd was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by both the Department of Justice and the Capitol Police, with no internal discipline imposed.
The initial request for military honors was denied by Air Force leadership in February 2021, during the Biden administration. However, as reported by AP and Stars and Stripes, the recent letter from Under Secretary Lohmeier stated, “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.” The letter also invited Babbitt’s family to meet with Lohmeier at the Pentagon to offer personal condolences.
Babbitt’s family, represented by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, had long pushed for the reversal, arguing that her service merited official recognition. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said, “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.” The family had initially sued the federal government for $30 million in a wrongful death lawsuit, ultimately settling for just under $5 million earlier in 2025 after Trump’s return to the White House.
The offer of military honors has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum. For many on the right, Babbitt has become a martyr—a symbol of what they see as government overreach and injustice. Retired General Mike Flynn, a former Trump cabinet member, celebrated the Air Force’s decision, stating, “There is no better example of how a leader is supposed to act, than right here in this letter. May Ashli Babbitt now Rest In Peace and her family gain some measure of solace for the wonderful person she was and the light of truth she brought to each of us,” as reported by Fox News.
However, critics on the left and within military circles have condemned the move. Democrat Rep. Adam Kinzinger voiced strong opposition, arguing, “[Ashli] Babbit [sic] dishonored her service by committing insurrection against her country. While her death is absolutely tragic and I wish it hadn’t happened, the Air Force giving her honors is in itself a dishonor.” Former Air Force Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly previously warned in a letter released by Judicial Watch that granting Babbitt military honors would “bring discredit upon the Air Force.”
The controversy is not just about Babbitt’s actions on January 6, but also about what military funeral honors represent. Such honors—typically including the playing of “Taps,” the presentation of an American flag, and a detail of uniformed personnel—are traditionally reserved for veterans who have upheld their oath to protect the United States. As MSNBC noted, Babbitt’s involvement in the insurrection has raised difficult questions about the line between honoring military service and condoning actions that undermine democratic institutions.
The story of Ashli Babbitt is also deeply entwined with the broader narrative of the January 6 riot and its aftermath. Babbitt, a prolific social media user, had embraced conspiracy theories such as “pizzagate” and QAnon, which falsely alleged that Democrats were running a child abuse ring and that Trump was fighting a global cabal. Her death has been seized upon by right-wing groups and former President Trump himself as a rallying cry, with efforts to recast the events of January 6 as a patriotic stand rather than an assault on democracy. According to AP, offering military honors to Babbitt is seen by some as part of Trump’s ongoing campaign to rewrite the narrative of the Capitol riot.
Judicial Watch, which represented Babbitt’s family in their litigation, had long advocated for her to receive full military honors, arguing that her “patriotic and courageous service in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard also merits favorable action on this request.” The group’s efforts were instrumental in the Air Force’s reversal, and its president, Tom Fitton, publicly thanked the Trump administration for intervening.
The settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit, which concluded with a nearly $5 million payment to Babbitt’s estate, was itself a significant development. The family’s original claim alleged that Babbitt was “ambushed” by Lt. Byrd, who they said fired without warning. Byrd, in a 2021 interview with NBC News, defended his actions, saying, “I tried to wait as long as I could. I hoped and prayed no one tried to enter through those doors. But their failure to comply required me to take the appropriate action to save the lives of members of Congress and myself and my fellow officers.”
The Air Force’s decision was reported widely on August 28, 2025, and has since sparked ongoing debate about the meaning of patriotism, the legacy of January 6, and how the nation chooses to honor its veterans. For some, the move is a long-overdue recognition of Babbitt’s service. For others, it is a painful reminder of the divisions that still rattle American society nearly five years after the Capitol riot.
As the controversy continues, one thing is clear: the decision to grant Ashli Babbitt full military funeral honors will remain a flashpoint in the national conversation about justice, honor, and the meaning of service in a deeply polarized era.
