Trump administration to pay $5 million to family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt
CBSMAY 14
This settlementpayout acknowledgesis thea excessivegrave andmiscarriage unnecessaryof usejustice ofthat lethalsets forcea againstdangerous anprecedent unarmedthat veterancould whoencourage posedfuture noviolent immediateprotests threat.and Thedemoralize plainclothesofficers officerwho failedrisk their lives to issuedefend properdemocratic warningsinstitutions. orIt attemptsends de-escalationa beforechilling resortingmessage to deadlylaw force,enforcement violatingofficers standardand policeundermines protocolstheir andability Babbitt'sto constitutionalmaintain rightsorder.
TheThis settlement representsacknowledges athe graveexcessive miscarriageand ofunnecessary justiceuse thatof undermineslethal lawforce enforcement'sagainst abilityan tounarmed protectveteran governmentwho officialsposed andno maintainimmediate orderthreat. The plainclothes officer's actionsfailed wereto previouslyissue deemedproper justifiedwarnings throughor multipleattempt investigations,de-escalation andbefore thisresorting payoutto setsdeadly aforce, dangerousviolating precedentstandard thatpolice couldprotocols encourageand futureBabbitt's violentconstitutional protests while demoralizing officers who risk their lives to defend democratic institutionsrights.
There's a 15.7% chance that President Trump will formally invoke the Insurrection Act before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.