Key takeaways:
- Donald Trump criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for defending the Capitol Police officer who killed Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 riot.
- McCarthy had said the officer was just doing his job and praised the Capitol Police as “heroes”.
- The incident is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice and it is unclear if the officer will face any charges.
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump took a jab at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a close ally, for defending the Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 riot.
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was with a crowd of rioters threatening police officers as they tried to break through the partially glass doors leading toward the House chamber. The officer then shot Babbitt at point blank range.
In response, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, “I totally disagree with the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, in that the Police Officer ‘Thug,’ who has had a very checkered past to begin with, was not just ‘doing his job’ when he shot and killed Great Patriot Ashli Babbitt at point blank range.”
McCarthy had said earlier on Thursday that the officer who shot Babbitt was just doing his job. He also expressed his condolences to Babbitt’s family and said that the Capitol Police are “heroes” for their actions on Jan. 6.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice. It is unclear if the officer will face any charges for the shooting.
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