Trump’s re-election could mean retribution against Congressional hero

Should a Capitol police officer who shot and killed a rioter at the Capitol on Jan. 6 who was breaking through a door that led to the Speaker’s Lobby be sent to jail?

President-elect Donald Trump and members of his inner circle have reportedly floated prosecuting Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd — hailed as a hero for defending Congressional members — for murder in the shooting of Ashli Babbitt.

Trump campaigned on pardoning people prosecuted and jailed for their roles in the riot at the Capitol.

According to a report from Politico, that could extend to prosecuting Byrd:

“Trump has joined with his supporters — some of whom took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — to call for prosecution of Byrd, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt as she attempted to breach the entrance to the Speaker’s Lobby while House members were being evacuated. The Justice Department announced in April 2021 that it closed the investigation into Babbitt’s death and no charges would be filed against Byrd. Last year, Trump called Byrd a ‘thug’ and ‘coward,’ adding: ‘Ashli Babbitt was murdered!’”

Babbitt, 35, was fatally shot while attempting to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby inside the Capitol. Police there were evacuating members of Congress from the mob supporting Trump’s false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia cleared the Capitol police officer who shot her of wrongdoing, concluding that he acted in self-defense and in the defense of members of Congress. The Capitol Police also cleared the officer.

Trump has called her “an incredible person” and he even taped a posthumous birthday greeting to her in 2021.

But the life of the Air Force veteran from California was far more complicated than the heroic portrait presented by Trump and his allies. In the months before her death, Babbitt had become consumed by pro-Trump conspiracy theories and posted angry screeds on social media. She also had a history of making violent threats.

On social media, Babbitt identified as a Libertarian and ardent supporter of the Second Amendment. Her posts included videos of profane rants against Democrats, COVID-19 mask mandates and illegal immigration.

Her Twitter account, which was taken down after her death, was rife with references to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which centers on the baseless belief that Trump has secretly battled deep-state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshiping cannibals that includes prominent Democrats who operate a child sex trafficking ring.

“Nothing will stop us,” Babbitt tweeted Jan. 5. “They can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours….dark to light!”

She was one of five people who died during or immediately after the riot, including a Capitol Police officer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.