Politics
JUST IN: Trump Secures Settlement For Ashli Babbitt’s Family
The Trump administration has reached a preliminary settlement with the family of Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran who was fatally shot inside the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 breach. The agreement, first revealed in a Friday court proceeding, marks a pivotal development in the $30 million civil lawsuit filed against the U.S. government by Babbitt’s estate.
Multiple sources confirmed to CBS News that a settlement has been reached “in principle,” though it has not yet been formally signed. The legal action—brought by conservative watchdog Judicial Watch on behalf of Babbitt’s estate and her husband, Aaron Babbitt—accused U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd of using unjustified lethal force.
Ashli Babbitt, born in San Diego, California, served 12 years in the U.S. Air Force, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After her military service, she returned home to co-run a pool supply company with her husband. A vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, Babbitt became active online, voicing beliefs that the 2020 election had been stolen.
On January 6, Babbitt traveled to Washington, D.C., and was among the protesters who breached the Capitol building. While attempting to climb through a shattered window into the Speaker’s Lobby—a restricted hallway near the House chamber—she was shot by Lt. Byrd. She later died from her injuries. Babbitt was unarmed at the time. The shooting sparked intense debate nationwide.
EXPOSED: Lt. Byrd, who killed Ashli Babbitt, received special protection, faced no prosecution, no real investigation, and lived at a military facility for 6 months—all on YOUR tax dollars. https://t.co/OZyoGnLT6h… pic.twitter.com/SyKpNTvhsP
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) May 2, 2025
The civil suit alleged that Lt. Byrd acted negligently in using deadly force and criticized his conduct during the incident. “The suit also argued Byrd was not in uniform and was wearing a COVID mask when he opened fire against Babbitt,” CBS News reported. It also accused the officer of failing to “de-escalate” the situation before resorting to lethal action.
“Ashli was unarmed,” the lawsuit stated. “Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby. Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone.”
Washington, D.C. | U.S.A. – Sep 18, 2021: “Justice for J6” Rally at the U.S. Capitol – Insurrection Supporters
In a 2024 court filing, the Department of Justice stated that “Ms. Babbitt unlawfully entered the Capitol. She made her way to the east doors of the Speaker’s Lobby situated immediately behind the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, the site of Joint Sessions of Congress.”
The filing detailed how, despite officers barricading the doors with heavy furniture, “demonstrators broke through the glass panels of the lobby doors and matching windows (called ‘sidelights’) on either side of the doors.” The document further noted, “Michael Byrd, a U.S. Capitol Police lieutenant, was positioned on the other side of the lobby doors. When Ms. Babbitt, wearing a backpack, tried to climb through a sidelight into the Speaker’s Lobby, Lt. Byrd fatally shot her.”
Though both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Capitol Police cleared Lt. Byrd of wrongdoing in internal reviews, Babbitt’s family insisted her death was avoidable and pushed forward with the wrongful death lawsuit. President Trump has long championed Babbitt’s cause, frequently invoking her name at rallies and demanding accountability.
The reported settlement comes after years of mounting legal and political pressure. For Trump’s base, the resolution is likely to be seen as a long-overdue acknowledgment of what they’ve long characterized as an injustice.
