Former president Donald Trump called and spoke to the mother of slain January 6th protestor Ashli Babbit, Micki Witthoeft, as she stood outside a jail where many other protestors are still being detained. During the call, he thanked her for the chance to speak to her and those whom she was supporting.
BREAKING VIDEO: Former President Trump spoke tonight on the phone to Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, as she rallied for January 6 defendants outside DC jail.
"We're with you. We're working with a lot of different people on this," Trump said. "We can't let this happen." pic.twitter.com/os0MZnMwUv
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 13, 2022
Well Micki, it’s an honor to be with you and to everybody listening. It’s a terrible thing that has happened to a lot of people that are being treated very, very unfairly.
We love Ashli and it was so horrible what happened to her. That that man shot Ashli is a disgrace and then he goes on television and it looked like he was actually bragging about it.
There’s never been a thing like has happened to our country and I just want to tell everybody that’s listening: We’re with you, we’re working with a lot of different people on this and w ecan’t let this happen.
This has never hapepned before. You loomat all the riots that took place for the last – a long prior of time, not just 2020 – the last long period of time. And almost nothing has happened to those people. And what they’re doing here is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to our country and it just cannot be allowed to happen and cannot be alowed to contnue.
So I just want to say to everybody, everbyody’s wokng on it. And I very much appreciate, Micki, your asking me to speak to everybody.
But we cannot alowo this to happen to our coiuntry. So God bless everybody. We are working very hard.
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This is not the first time the former president has addressed the issue of Ashli Babbit’s killing by Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd.
This isn’t the first time former President Trump has signaled his support for Ashli Babbitt’s family.
In October of last year, he sent a pre-recorded video to be played at an event celebrating Babbitt’s life on her birthday. https://t.co/hqhz87pCHY
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 14, 2022
Former President Trump spoke at the Ashli Babbitt birthday commemoration via pre-recorded video: “Her memory will live on in our hearts for all time.”
“There was no reason Ashli should have lost her life that day. We must all demand justice for Ashli and her family,” Trump said.
After remaining anonymous for over half a year, eventually Byrd’s identity as the shooter was revealed. Around the same time, he made an appalling appearance on national televion for an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt. In that interview, he proceeded to defend his actions. That interview was reported on by the New York Post.
The officer told NBC News’ Lester Holt that seconds before he fired his weapon, he had been screaming at Babbitt and her fellow rioters to “please stop” and “get back.”
“You’re ultimately hoping that your commands will be complied with,” Byrd said, “and unfortunately, they were not.”
When Holt asked Byrd what he thought Babbitt was doing when he shot her, the officer responded bluntly: “She was posing a threat to the House of Representatives.”
Contrary to media narratives, the only people killed on Janaury 6th were Trump supporters.
Hailey Sanibel covers culture and politics for The American Tribune. She is a regular contributor.
Featured image: Screen shot, Twitter.