• The U.S. Air Force has reversed its earlier decision and will provide military honors to Ashli Babbitt.
• Her death during the January 6 insurrection has marked her as a controversial figure among supporters and critics.
• Criticism highlights concerns over legitimizing the actions of rioters as patriotic.

The U.S. Air Force will extend military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, a veteran who was fatally shot during the January 6 Capitol riot. This decision, made by Under Secretary Matthew Lohmeier, reverses a previous denial from the Biden administration based on a review of the circumstances surrounding her death. Babbitt was shot while attempting to breach a barricaded door to the Speaker’s Lobby, as she was wrapped in a Trump campaign flag at the time, according to The Hill, HuffPost, and Reuters.

The reversal comes in light of new information that Lohmeier believes calls for a different conclusion regarding the honor. Initially, Babbitt's family was denied military honors in a 2021 letter, which stated that providing such honors would discredit the Air Force, as noted by former Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly at the time. Lohmeier stated, “After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli's death, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect,” according to India Times and Los Angeles Times.

Babbitt’s situation remains contentious, with her supporters arguing that she has been wrongfully portrayed while critics, including veterans, express outrage over the decision. Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served in the Air Force, denounced the move, calling it a dishonor to those who served honorably, as reported by Newsweek and HuffPost. Criticism has also emerged about the broader implications this decision holds concerning the perception of support for the January 6 insurrection.

The military honors will include traditional elements such as the playing of taps and the presentation of the American flag, as detailed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Air Force confirmed these details publicly in conjunction with Lohmeier's statement, reinforcing the shift in honors under a new administration and contributing to the ongoing debate on how such actions affect public perception of military service and insurrectionist actions, according to Los Angeles Times, Reuters, and Newsweek.