The decision by the Trump administration to grant military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, a rioter who lost her life during the January 6, 2021, Capitol assault, marks a significant turn in how this event has been perceived within Republican circles.

Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from California, was shot and killed while attempting to breach a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby, wrapped in a Trump campaign flag.

This move aligns with President Donald Trump's persistent efforts to reinterpret the Capitol riot narrative as an expression of patriotism.

Despite Trump's continued denial of his election loss, Babbitt has emerged as a symbol of martyrdom for Republicans, and her family received a settlement of nearly $5 million from the government in a wrongful-death lawsuit.

Matthew Lohmeier, an under secretary of the Air Force, commented that offering military honors to Babbitt was 'long overdue,' drawing attention to a post by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group advocating for the family.

The group reported that the Babbitt family had requested such honors from the administration of former President Joe Biden and faced denial.

Following an internal review, the Air Force spokesperson confirmed the decision, citing a reevaluation of Babbitt’s death and new information that influenced this change in stance.

Babbitt held the rank of senior airman.